Full disclosure One Negros: A petition might derail it

CEBU, Philippines — The "Negros Island Region (NIR) Act", which was passed into law on June 11, 2024, mandated the establishment of the new region comprising the provinces of Negros Occidental, including the City of Bacolod, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor, along with their respective cities, municipalities, and barangays.

We aren’t stranger to this law though. To recall, President Aquino signed Executive Order No. 183 on May 29, 2015 “joining the twin Negros provinces into one region — the Negros Island Region.” This region’s life was aborted, however, as Pres. Duterte signed Executive Order No. 38 on August 7, 2017 repealing Pres. Aquino’s EO. This time, however, Siquijor is included.

Then, on August 30, 2024, a group from Dumaguete City and the Province of Siquijor has filed a petition before the Supreme Court “seeking declaratory relief, prohibition, and a temporary restraining order (TRO) regarding the recently enacted law creating the NIR.”  Whether this petition prospers, we do not know. However, drilling down on this issue is certainly paramount.

Reportedly, the root of this clamor on both sides of the island (Negros) was because politicians feel that they are left behind in infrastructure projects. That without these much-needed projects, progress will remain elusive. That this is the primary reason why poverty incidences remain high especially in Negros Oriental.

Indeed, among the many, there are two compelling arguments for the new region that are worth delving in. First and foremost, the creation of one island region itself. Secondly, that because of such creation, major infrastructures will follow.

As regards the new region’s creation, history is not on this new region’s side. Everyone is aware of what happened to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Though established for the same good reasons, it remains a symbol of neglect. You don’t see factories just warlords’ mansions.

Agreeably, one may argue though that ARMM is an isolated case as peace remains elusive. So that, let’s take the case of the Cordillera Administrative Region instead. The provinces of Abra, Benguet and Mountain Province were carved out from the Ilocos Region while Ifugao, Kalinga and Apayao were sliced from Cagayan Valley. Today, the primary growth centers are just Metro Baguio and the Eastern Cordillera Growth Corridor.

On infrastructure, my fellow NegOrenses singled out the most affluent province in Region 7 as “Imperial Cebu” as it is cornering all nationally funded big ticket projects. Developments, they said, that have propelled Cebu’s economic boom.

This tag is quite unfair and inaccurate. The reason is too simple. Most of these projects are either purely LGU initiated or public-private partnerships. For one, Cebu’s North Reclamation Area was just Cebu City’s initiative many decades ago. Mandaue’s Reclamation Area (where Chong Hua Hospital, UC Med and Cebu Doctors’ University reside) was developed by F.F. Cruz & Co. Inc. via a joint venture agreement with the City of Mandaue.

The South Road Properties (where SM’s 4th biggest mall in the country resides) was developed by the City of Cebu via a loan from Japan Bank for International Cooperation. The truth is, the national government also earned from this project through the 1% guarantee fee.

On the other hand, if the expansion of the Mactan Cebu International Airport should be made an issue, the national government never dropped a cent in this project. GMR-Megawide Consortium (a consortium of India's GMR Infrastructure Ltd and locally listed Megawide Construction Corp.) undertook the project (now owned by the Aboitiz Group). Fast forward, the MVP Group constructed the third bridge and the SM Group desired to reclaim 1,500 hectares in Cordova. As their names suggest, these are all private sector initiatives.

Clearly, therefore, everything rests in the local leadership, whether politicians or businessmen. Brands of leaderships that shall influence investors to pour in their hard-earned money into the locality. A kind of leadership that shall sincerely take cognizance of the general welfare of its constituents and not on nurturing one’s own selfish interest.

Clearly though, in having this new region, there will be job generation to a few. There will be some kind of progress to the new regional directors, their assistants and their staff.  Probably, most of them will be politicians’ relatives.

But what about the other struggling NegOrenses? Will they progress or retrogress?  Well, only the future can tell. — (FREEMAN)