On one island region plan Negros Or. officials seek for more info, discussions

CEBU, Philippines - The proposal for a One Negros Island Region, merging Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, must go through a considerable period of information dissemination, to reach out to every Negrense on how the merger works and determine the needs of both sides before adopting the idea into reality.

"The Metro Dumaguete Concept even failed to sustain the grouping of four local government units in Negros Oriental, how much more the merger of two provinces," according to Sibulan town Mayor Emmanuel Diputado.

Diputado said he himself was not even invited to participate in the discussion of the pros and cons of the proposal, and its advantages and disadvantages to either the Occidental and the Oriental.

Although, League of Municipalities-Negros Oriental chapter was represented by Mayor Bentham dela Cruz of Amlan town during the One Island Region summit in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental last Friday, it did not mean that supporting the idea would constitute adoption and approval of the merger, Diputado said.

Diputado said he could not just approve the idea by himself without even scrutinizing its contents, if this is fair to all, and on how it will it work in terms of jurisdiction, matters of leadership and on the transition period, among others.

This "region" will cause a domino effect on local administration, its direction with regards to the annual investment plan and budget, that would conforms to the direction of the two provinces. "It will shake the foundation as far as administration of LGUs is concerned; not much on the language barrier because we can even understand sign languages," Diputado said.

For now, the mayor said he could not even explain to his constituents what is the One Negros Island, One Region is all about except that it is a merger of two provinces.

Diputado, a law graduate and barrister himself, had doubts that it will be legally possible to create a new region by simply an issuance of an executive order by President Aquino, as propounded by Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr.

"In my simple understanding that falls within the concept of merging, abolition or creation of new local governments which requires an act of the legislative or Congress," said Diputado in response to Marañon's stand, which the latter equated with the creation of MIMAROPA, CALABARZON and CARAGA regions.

The business sector in Negros Oriental also claimed it was never consulted on the proposal. Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NOCCI) president Ed Du said businessmen in Dumaguete City and the province have been in quandary over what is the proposal all about.

Du said businessmen could not intelligently air their views and collective stand without having to secure hard copies of the proposal, even as their counterpart in Negros Occidental, the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) has already verbalized their approval during the Kabankalan Summit.

Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo had earlier manifested he will abide by the peoples' decision on the matter, while Vice Gov. Edward Mark Macias admitted that the province has a lot of catching up compared to Negros Occidental's collection of resolutions from the barangay level up to the municipalities, cities and the Provincial Board, and the various leagues of cities, mayors and vice mayors, among others. (FREEMAN)