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Yearender: NegOcc recovers, leads regional economic growth

By Nanette Guadalquiver

December 30, 2022, 6:26 pm

<p><strong>TIME TO CELEBRATE</strong>. Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson speaks during the Christmas Lights-On Ceremony at the Provincial Capitol Lagoon and Park in Bacolod City on Dec. 13, 2022. The province starts to recover from the devastating effects of the pandemic and Typhoon Odette in the past two years, ending the year 2022 with various accomplishments in terms of economic growth and local governance. <em>(Photo courtesy of PIO Negros Occidental)</em></p>

TIME TO CELEBRATE. Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson speaks during the Christmas Lights-On Ceremony at the Provincial Capitol Lagoon and Park in Bacolod City on Dec. 13, 2022. The province starts to recover from the devastating effects of the pandemic and Typhoon Odette in the past two years, ending the year 2022 with various accomplishments in terms of economic growth and local governance. (Photo courtesy of PIO Negros Occidental)

BACOLOD CITY – Negros Occidental has started to recover from the devastating effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic and Typhoon Odette in the past two years, ending the year 2022 with various accomplishments in terms of economic growth and local governance.

While managing challenges to revive its tourism industry and protect its multi-billion animal industries from threats of infectious diseases, the province also continues to support the national government’s campaign to end local communist armed conflict.

Top performer

In the Philippine Statistics Authority’s first-ever regional report on Provincial Product Accounts for the period 2018 to 2021 released in December this year, Negros Occidental emerged as the top economy in Western Visayas in 2021, contributing 1.9 percentage points to the region’s overall economic growth of 5.9 percent last year.

“Congratulations (to the Negrenses) for a job well done in 2022. The province of Negros Occidental has been considered as one of the top performers in rebounding economically. More or less, one-third of the economic growth of Region 6 was contributed by the province,” Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said.

Among the six provinces in Western Visayas, Negros Occidental ranked No. 1 both in terms of locally-sourced revenues, with a growth of 83.68 percent from 2020 to 2021, and in economic enterprise collection efficiency of 245.57 percent, during the recognition rites of the Bureau of Local Government Finance and Regional Association of Treasurers and Assessors in Region 6 Inc. held last Dec. 7.

On Dec. 5, during the 2022 Excellence in Local Governance Awards of the Department of the Interior and Local Government-6, Negros Occidental was first runner-up as Best Performing Province and champion in Excellence in Environmental Governance.

It was also awarded first runner-up in Excellence in Economic Governance, Excellence in Local Legislation, Excellence in Administrative Governance, and Excellence in Social Governance’ and second runner-up in Excellence in Public Safety, Peace and Order.

Negros Occidental also received the Seal of Excellence from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council for being “Fully Compliant” in adhering to the standards for the establishment and functionality of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and Offices.

Rethinking tourism

During the 22nd Provincial Tourism Week held in September, Negros Occidental pushed for inclusive and sustainable tourism to regain its status as among the top tourist destinations in Western Visayas.

“We are rethinking tourism, not just the usual leisure and service. Our aim is to incorporate responsibility for sustainable development. While tourism brings in economic activities, it has to trickle down to our communities,” Diaz said.

He cited as an example the provincial government-owned Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary, intended not just for leisure and recreation, but also for the protection and conservation of flora and fauna as well as the healing of guests.

Last April, the retreat reopened to accommodate the summer crowd for the first time in two years and some four months after the onslaught of Typhoon Odette.

Campaign against insurgency

For two weeks in October, thousands of residents of Barangay Carabalan and its neighboring villages in Himamaylan City were displaced due to a series of encounters between New People’s Army (NPA) rebels and troops of the Philippine Army’s 94th Infantry Battalion.

The clashes started on Oct. 6, and the last group of evacuees returned home on Oct. 19.

Romeo Nanta, the commanding officer of the Regional Operational Command of the NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, was killed during a clash in Sitio Medel while Corporals Christian Drilon and Rex Verde also died while six others were wounded during an encounter in Sitio Sig-ang.

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who chairs the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, said the passing of Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison must also conclude the decades-long insurgency.

"The moment has come to end the armed conflict in the country so that we can effectively work towards lasting and genuine peace," he added.

Poultry ban

Starting Dec. 6, Negros Occidental imposed a total ban on the entry of live birds and poultry products such as meat and eggs from all areas affected by the highly pathogenic avian influenza or bird flu to safeguard its poultry industry and to protect the general public from the effects of the disease.

The ban covers Luzon, Mindanao, and the neighboring Panay island, including the provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, Antique, and Aklan, as well as the island-province of Guimaras.

Negros Occidental has a PHP8 billion poultry industry and is among the top poultry-producing
provinces in the country.

Push for Negros Island Region

In 2022, the proposal for the creation of the Negros Island Region (NIR) was revived through various bills filed in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

On Dec. 5, the Senate committee on local government approved Senate Bill 1236, authored by Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, seeking to create the NIR to boost the efficiency of the delivery of government services and provide convenience for the region’s residents and at the same time in line with the administration's goal of rightsizing.

On Dec. 13, the Technical Working Group of the House committee on local government led by Negros Occidental 6th District Rep. Mercedes Alvarez and Cebu City South District Rep. Eduardo Rama Jr. approved the consolidated bill to form the NIR with the support of committee chair, Valenzuela 1st District Rep. Rex Gatchalian.

Lacson and Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez reaffirmed their support for the creation of the NIR after Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo aired opposition to the proposal. (PNA)

 

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