On one Negros Island region Mar assures Negrenses he'll lobby plan to PNoy

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — "There's no reason why not." This was the assurance made yesterday by Interior Secretary Mar Roxas when pressed if the One-Negros Island Region proposal will be realized before 2016.

"There's no reason it will not work, as long as we have the consolidated data to fasttrack its process," Roxas said during the consultation meeting with Negrense leaders, headed by Governors Alfredo Marañon Jr. of  Negros Occidental and Roel Degamo of Negros Oriental, to merge the two provinces into one region

Roxas stressed that data collection is necessary before presenting the comprehensive report to President Benigno "PNoy" Aquino III for his approval. "This consultation meeting is part of the process on hearing the pros and cons of the proposal," Roxas said.

"We need to hold hearings to get all the facts," he said, hinting that another consultation meeting will be conducted in Negros Oriental. When all the needed information and data are completed, he will submit these to the president for scrutiny and approval, he added.

Roxas said if the proposal will be realized, a total of  30 national agencies will be put up here, each of which will have an estimated budget of P40 to P50 million for new offices, meaning that a total of P1.5 billion will be needed for the new region.

The National Economic and Development Authority, DBM and the DPWH have been studying the proposal, he said. "We asked NEDA to conduct an economic viability study, DBM to study the cost and savings and DPWH to check the prototype design of all the regional buildings and where it will be constructed."

Degamo, who missed the one-island summit meeting in Kabankalan City early this month but was able to attend the meeting yesterday, said Negros leaders should not railroad the plan. He clarified that he is not against it but pointed out the need to carefully study it further.

"I'm appealing to everybody, let's take time," said Degamo, as he suggested to look into the matter on "how would this improve the quality of  life of my people in Oriental?"

He cited that Negros Oriental was included in the Top 8 tourist destinations in the country for two consecutive years since it is part of Region 7. "This is because of our strategy," he said, posing another question if  Oriental could maintain its programs when merged with Occidental.

Negros Oriental Vice Governor Edward Mark Macias said: "I assure you, we're not railroading this. We're ahead of what was started 20 years ago. We're going to the process, and I'm happy that we're moving on."

Macias said the fastest way to approve the proposal is through an executive order issued by Aquino, "We have barely two years to work on this. We won't know if the next president will be sympathetic to this cause. But if the next president is sitting in this room, then we know that he heard our voice," he said.

Marañon, for his part, said that he was "very positive" that Roxas will lobby the proposal to Aquino, "I think we have convinced him with that attendance, which was almost 100 percent." He said that once Roxas already have the needed data, he will help fasttrack the approval from the president.

The governor said Roxas' presence during the consultation meeting has blessing from PNoy.

Among those present during the consultation meeting were, from Negros Oriental: Representatives Manuel Iway (1st district), George Arnaiz (2nd dist.) and Pryde Henry Teves (3rd dist.), Provincial Board members, mayors, vice mayors and councilors.

From Negros Occidental, were: Vice Governor Eugenio Jose "Bong" Lacson, Representatives Evelio Leonardia of Bacolod City, Leo Cueva (2nd dist.), Jeffrey Ferrer (4th dist.), Alejandro Mirasol (5th dist.), Stephen Paduano of  Abang Lingkod party-list and Gary Alejano of Magdalo party-list, PB members, mayors, vice mayors and councilors.

Also present was Oriental Mindoro Governor Alfonso Umali, head of the Governor's League of the Philippines.