Senator Win Gatchalian said the delivery of frontline government services on Negros Island will improve substantially as the Senate approved on third and final reading a proposed measure providing for the creation of the Negros Island Region (NIR).

“Once enacted into law, the measure will streamline government services as the provinces in the region would be able to optimize their service processes and reduce costs for the benefit of the residents of the region,” Gatchalian said, a co-author of the proposed measure.

The proposed Negros Island Region will be composed of the provinces of Negros Occidental, including the City of Bacolod, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.

Under the existing setup, residents of Negros Occidental have to travel to Iloilo to apply for their identification cards, certificates, or permits while those from Negros Oriental have to go to Cebu for the same purpose.

“This measure will boost local autonomy by enhancing administrative decentralization, thereby speeding up the economic, cultural, and social progress of the region,” he added. 

The amount needed for the implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.