Mayors to finalize position on 'One Negros Island' state
BACOLOD CITY -- The League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP)-Negros Occidental chapter, and the Association of Chief Executives (ACE) will meet today, Tuesday, to finalize their stand on the establishment of One Negros Island federal state.
Manapla Mayor Manolet Escalante, who heads the LMP-Negros Occidental Chapter and ACE said majority of the mayors in the province support the bid especially the merging of two provinces on Negros island, Occidental and Oriental plus the willingness of the nearby Siquijor province to join.
Earlier, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental unanimously passed a resolution supporting the call for a merger of the province, with Negros Oriental and Siquijor into a federal state by "reason of economy and efficiency".
Board Member Edgardo Acuña, authored the resolution supporting Senate Resolution No. 10 of Senator Aqulino Pimentel calling for the establishment of a federal form government.
"The merging of three provinces into one federal state would ensure a more efficient, economical and holistic socio-economic development strategy that would greatly redound to the benefit of the concerned provinces," the resolution stated.
All these resolutions will be submitted to Senator Aquilino Pimentel who is spearheading the move towards federalism for consideration.
Negros Occidental Governor Isidro Zayco and Negros Oriental Governor Emilio Macias in a forum on federalism recently held in Cebu with Senator Aquilino Pimentel as guest speaker officially aired their oneness on the plan. The governor of Siquijor raised his hand saying they will join Negros.
Vice Governor Emilio Yulo III said if this happens, the implementation should be done after 2010.
Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia is also supporting the provincial officials.
"I am behind the governors in the quest to make Negros Occidental a separate entity," Leonardia said.
Leonardia cited that when he was with the Department of Tourism (DOT), there was already a proposal that Negros Island should become one in terms of tourism promotion aside from economic dimension. "I believe in one-island region because of proximity of Negros Occidental and Oriental," Leonardia stressed.
Over the years, by tradition and by practice, Iloilo is always a regional center despite of the fact that Negros Occidental is the biggest province among the six provinces in Western Visayas or Region VI, observes Leonardia.
"Negros occidental is so big, so daw ka balik-awot bala sang atun kahimtangan", he added.