We haven’t heard the last of the Negros Island Region saga.
The rumblings of people representing groups opposing the creation of the NIR have finally brought the matter to the Supreme Court calling for the dissolution of the new region.
The petitioners cited the geographic divisions between Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental as well as the linguistic differences between Ilonggos and Cebuanos. And they note that Siquijor is not just divided by a mountain but by the Bohol Sea.
And they also raise the issue of non-consultation, which, they say, should have been done through a plebiscite.
Well, these issues are not new. We’ve heard them time and again since the time the idea of an NIR was broached more than 20 years ago.
Yes, there are differences. But we also have shared interests. There also are advantages in having a one island-region. And if we keep on highlighting our differences instead of our common interests, we will never move forward.
We now leave the matter in the hands of the Supreme Court, hoping that our magistrates would be able to see both sides of the coin and arrive at a solution that considers the interests of the greater number of people.
