The recent visit of House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to Dumaguete City, who went on a road trip with several members of the House of Representatives two weeks ago via the Nautical Highway, has further strengthened his belief to make Negros Island as the seat of government of the future Federal Republic of the Philippines.
In an interview with Carol Arguillas of the Davao-based MindaNews, Alvarez said the seat of the Federal Government could be anywhere in Negros.
The trip of Alvarez and the Congressmen was actually an inspection trip for the Strong Republic Nautical Highway program of former President Arroyo, and to find ways to improve it.
“Negros,” he explained, “is accessible to Mindanao, accessible to Luzon, and accessible to neighboring islands in the Visayas.”
He explained that the roll-on roll-off (RORO) vessels connect Mindanao and the Visayas through the Dipolog-Dumaguete route. Luzon and the Visayas are also connected by the Nautical Highway through the Bacolod-Iloilo route, which connects to Mindoro, and finally, to Batangas.
To get to Cebu, one can travel from either San Carlos City in Negros Occidental, or from Guihulngan City, San Jose, and Sibulan towns in Negros Oriental by way of RORO vessels. It is even possible to connect Negros and Cebu with a bridge, Alvarez added.
He said his vision of a Federal Republic would comprise 14 states – seven in Luzon, two in the Visayas, five in Mindanao.
Of the five states in Mindanao, two will be Moro states, and one state for Indigenous Peoples.
Another state for IPs will be in the Cordilleras.
The vision of Alvarez of a Federal Republic is slightly different from the vision of Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr., which only proposes 11 states, including one Moro state out of three Mindanao states.
Alvarez also envisions Negros Island and the Panay Island to comprise the Western Visayas State.
He said he does not know if his vision is shared by his party mates in the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino, “but I will really fight for it.” (AP)
