BACOLOD CITY — Former Senate president Juan Miguel Zubiri has assured the Negrenses and Siquijornons of his continued support for the newly created Negros Island Region (NIR).

"We have to hit the ground running for the Negros Island Region," Zubiri said on Wednesday.

He said he will make sure that government agencies for NIR will get their respective budgets in the 2025 national budget.

He said NIR is expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2025.

"We are heading towards the budget season for the National Expenditure Program and during budget hearings I will make sure of the NIR budget and I am willing to assist them," he said.

Zubiri said specific plans by the government agencies for NIR "must be in place, including where they want to locate the offices."

Zubiri, who arrived in this city on Wednesday, met with the local officials on NIR, led by Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer, and representatives from Negros Oriental.

Ferrer said they also acknowledged the support of House Speaker Martin Romualdez and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for signing the NIR Law.

Zubiri asked Negros Occidental 6th District Rep. Mercedes Alvarez to include him in the meeting of the NIR Technical Working Group (TWG).

The membership of the TWG is composed of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Budget and Management, National Economic Development Authority, governors of the three NIR provinces, and the new region's representatives.

The TWG is tasked to formulate the Implementing Rules and Regulations for the implementation of the new region, specifically on its budget deliberations.

'Siquijor will not be left behind'

Zubiri and NIR lawmakers also assured Siquijor that they will not be left behind once the new administrative region becomes fully operational by 2025.

"Definitely, no province of this new region will be left behind. That is precisely the reason why we came up with this bill that eventually became law — because we believe these three provinces also deserve that much attention from the national government. Rest assured, Siquijor will not be left behind, the same with Negros Oriental and Occidental," Alvarez said.