The Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce & Industry Inc., a staunch advocate for the creation of the Negros Island Region, said the process of creating the proposed one-island Region has gone through consultations, contrary to the claim of the Diocese of Dumaguete.
NOCCI President Edward Du said there were consultations made for a five-month period from November 2014 to April 2015, which was attended by majority of Negorenses.
Before the five-month consultation, he said, there were also a series of forums conducted both in Dumaguete and in Bacolod during the time of then-Gov.Dodo Emilio Macias II, and Gov. Bitay Lacson.
Du noted that the NIR critics are making a big fuss out of nothing. “Up to now, they cannot, and have not responded, nor commented to my questions:
“1) Why did they not object to President PNoy’s [Aquino] EO 183 way back in 2015, and up to October 2017?;
2) Why did they express their opposition to NIR [only] right after President BBM’s pronouncement that he will sign Senate Bill 2507? Why only now after the unanimous approval by both Senate and the House of Representatives? Why sabotage a very good law?
3) Why did the Church not express their opposition to Cong. [Chiquiting] Sagarbarria and to Cong. Josy [Limkaichong] during the congressional hearings in 2023?
- What are the disadvantages of opening 16 new regional offices in Negros Oriental under NIR, compared to zero regional offices under the present setup?
5) Why spend thousands of pesos traveling to Cebu [where the] the regional offices [are]?”
Businessman Du, who takes time to answer to comments from NIR critics in his personal Facebook account, said the anti-NIR group continues to refuse to understand that the creation of a new region is not a territorial or political division like creating a new District, new city, or new province, but a “mere re-grouping of contiguous provinces” like Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental for purely administrative purposes only.
He said there is still a mistaken notion that creating one Region means there will only be only one governor for both Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental.
He said that a poll he conducted on Facebook showed that more respondents are actually in favor of the NIR.
The poll, conducted on April 11, showed 34 are in favor, and only seven against the creation of the NIR.
He said the NOCCI is planning to hold a special Information, Education and Communication campaign on the benefits of the NIR.
