BACOLOD CITY, June 8 (PNA) — Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II enjoined Negrenses to be responsible for the “historic opportunity” given to them under the newly-formed Negros Island Region (NIR).
“This a moment of historic opportunity. For the first time, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental can come together and make a coherent plan for the entire island,” Roxas told officials of Negros Occidental during a preliminary meeting on the NIR held at the Social Hall of the Provincial Capitol here Monday afternoon.
Both Negros provinces have a combined population of 4.5 million.
Roxas met with officials of Negros Occidental for the first time since he announced Friday that President Benigno S. Aquino III signed on May 29 Executive Order No. 183, creating the NIR.
Before giving his message, Roxas turned over to Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. the President’s Copy of the EO 183, drawing applause from the audience that also included leaders of the sugar industry, congressmen, mayors, vice mayors, councilors, barangay officials, and employees of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
“With this instrument, you can write your own destiny, you can write your own destination, you can write your own itinerary, and you can write your own plan on how to arrive there,” Roxas added.
The DILG chief also told officials here that Negros Occidental, being the bigger and the richer province, has the burden of leading the region towards faster progress.
“Mind you, this is not easy now.(But) you will no longer have the excuse. The challenge, the inspiration of taking the future in your hands (means) you are also now responsible for your future,” Roxas said.
He added: “The decisions are yours, the responsibilities are yours because the authority is yours as well. The Regional Development Council will be led by Negrenses. The Regional Peace and Order Council will be led by Negrenses. The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council will be led by Negrenses.”
Roxas, who has been instrumental in pushing for the approval of the NIR before the Office of the President, considered as an anomaly the fact that in the country, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental are the only provinces that belong to the same island, but don’t belong to the same region.
He admitted that the transition of the two Negros provinces into becoming a one-island region will “not be easy” and will be “a very big responsibility.”
“But I know that you can do it. Negros has always stood tall, faced many challenges,” he added. (PNA)