00:00Finally, no longer does one Negros province have to play second fiddle to the other,
00:04thanks to the president signing into law the consolidation of both provinces into one,
00:09where the distribution of revenues and benefits from national government are more equitable.
00:14William Theo tells us more to include the sub-island province of Guimaras
00:18also in the Negros region consolidation.
00:22President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed the Negros Island Region Act,
00:27which consolidates the provinces of Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City,
00:32Negros Oriental, and Siquijor into one region, the Negros Island Region, or NIR.
00:40According to the president, it is high time to enact this proposed measure,
00:44especially as Negrenses are on the same island but managed by different administrative regions.
00:51Hence, the delivery of government services are delayed,
00:54leading to a slow, staggered, and unequal pace of development.
00:59For decades now, Negrenses have endured the rigors of sea travel, unnecessary expenses,
01:04bureaucratic red tape, inefficiency that this arrangement has brought, especially when
01:12there is a need to urgently access government services from regional centers on other islands.
01:19Even glaring, even glaring, equally glaring is the uneven growth and
01:24disparity of funding between the two provinces, which share many of the same
01:28natural resources and industries, such as sugar, tourism, renewable energy.
01:33The government will also push for the NIR to be a center of progress and prosperity in Visayas
01:40by accelerating socioeconomic development and providing resources,
01:45investments, and effective economic planning.
01:48Indeed, in unity there is always strength, and that is what we are building.
01:53And I trust that the people of the newly established Negros Island Region will work
01:58together to complement each other's strengths to build a more united and flourishing Negrense
02:05community. And this is something that the national government will have to play a very large part in,
02:12and we pledge that assistance so that we can bring this new region up to speed as quickly
02:19as possible.
02:20According to Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Kiko Benitez,
02:25this is a huge deal for them because government service will be closer to the people and
02:31development of the area will be faster. A technical working group will also be
02:35formed to create a plan and roadmap for proper institutional arrangement
02:40and organizational development in NIR. President Marcos Jr. also signed the Real
02:47Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act, which is included in the priority bills of the
02:53current administration and in the common legislative agenda. It is intended to
02:59accelerate the automation of services provided by government agencies for proper tax collection,
03:05which, according to the president, will have increased revenues, create jobs,
03:10and attract investments to the country. A law that streamlines and enhances the real
03:16property valuation and assessment system through a uniform real property appraisal that is compliant
03:23with international standards. It also adopts the prevailing market value as the single real
03:30property valuation base for the assessment of real property tax.
03:35LGU service will also be modernized through a real property information system for an up-to-date
03:42electronic database of real property transactions and declarations nationwide. President Marcos Jr.
03:49encouraged government agencies to properly implement the new laws to ensure the public
03:54reaps the benefits. The chief executive also said that the government will work with both
03:59Houses of Congress to pass other priority bills before the year ends to improve the living
04:05conditions for every Filipino. William Theo from the National TV Network for a new and better
04:12Philippines.
