Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

Ve time: (2227)
NINETEENTH CONGRESS es G
First Regular Session ~

HOUSE BILL NO. 113°

Introduced by
REP. JULIET MARIE DE LEON FERRER

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The proposed measure seeks to create Negros Island Region (NIR) to be
composed of the Provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental.

Administrative regions are established to promote efficiency in government to
better serve the people and promote social and economic development in the covered
area. With the establishment of a Negros Island Region (NIR) the delivery of services
to the people of Negros will be more efficient because there will be no need to travel
to Iloilo City or Cebu City, as the case may be. Regional offices will be situated within
the island of Negros and the people will save time and resources in transacting with
the government's regional offices. It will be more practical and will be to the best
interest to the people of Negros to establish a Negros Island Region.

In view of this, the immediate approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

JULIET, LEON FERRER:

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{= DATESUN 20 207.



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Quezon City

NINETEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 119

SS

Introduced by
REP. JULIET MARIE DE LEON FERRER

AN ACT
ESTABLISHING THE NEGROS ISLAND REGION AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. State Policy - It is the policy of the State to strengthen local
government units to serve as the foundation for a strong and self-reliant nation.

SEC. 2. This act shall be known as the Negros Island Region Act of 2022.

SEC. 3. Pursuant to this Act, the Negros Island Region is hereby created which
shall be composed of the following provinces, including the Cities, Municipalities, and
Barangays comprising the provinces below mentioned:

A. Negros Occidental; and
B, Negros Oriental.

SEC. 4, Upon approval of this act, a Negros Island Technical Working Group
composed of the Office of the President (OP), the Department of Budget and
Management (DBM), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG),
the representatives of the Office of the Governor of Province of Negros Occidental and
Negros Occidental and all the elected members of the House of Representatives of
both Provinces of Negros Occidental including Bacolod City and Negros Oriental, is
hereby constituted to form a Technical Working Group (TWG).

The TWG shall formulate a roadmap to put in place the institutional
arrangements for the NIR; recommend to the OP the preferred Regional Center;
arrange the requirements for organizational development, staffing, and budgeting of
regional line and regulatory agencies, as well as the imperatives for development
planning and investment programming.


SEC. 5. Notwithstanding the activities of the NIR-TWG, and to ensure the
smooth transitions of basic services, the DILG is hereby designated as the secretariat
until the TWG has completed its task. The final report and recommendation of the
TWG shall be approved by the Office of the President who shall have the final
decision.

SECTION 6. Role of Government Agencies. All departments, bureaus, offices,
agencies, and instrumentalities of the national government, including government-
owned or controlled corporations and government financial institutions, are hereby
directed to extend their full assistance to the NIR-TWG in support of its functions and
activities.

SECTION 7. Funding. The funding for NIR-TWG shall be sourced from the
implementing agencies of the NIR-TWG and the provinces making up the NIR, subject
to the availability of funds and upon compliance with all existing applicable laws and
budgetary, accounting, and auditing rules and regulations.

SECTION 8. Repealing. All orders, issuances, rules and regulations or parts
thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Order are hereby repealed,
amended, or modified accordingly.

SECTION 9. Separability. If any provision of this Order is declared invalid or
unconstitutional, the other provisions unaffected thereby shall remain valid and
subsisting.

SECTION 10. Effectivity. This Order shall take effect immediately upon its
publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved.