CEBU, Philippines – On June 13, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the Negros Island Region (NIR) Act, spelling a massive shift in economic resources and administrative authority in the Visayas.
The new law takes Negros Occidental and Bacolod City away from Western Visayas, and Negros Oriental and Siquijor from Central Visayas, in hopes of generating more funds and livelihood opportunities for residents and expediting the delivery of government services in the island region.
With a technical working group now working to establish regional agencies and budgeting resources for the NIR, some groups have argued that the region may soon find itself with some “asymmetry” in representation and resource allocation.
Rappler Visayas reporter John Sitchon explains what’s new following the creation of the Negros Island Region. – Rappler.com