Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said that the creation of the Negros Island Region will make it easier to do business, as residents and entrepreneurs will have all services available in one administrative region. “I think it will ease doing business because people who want to invest in sugar mills or agriculture in Negros Occidental will no longer have to travel to Iloilo by ferry for permits and other requirements,” Ejercito said.
“If it’s easier and more convenient, it will encourage more businesses to grow in both provinces.” According to Ejercito, the rationale for the creation of the region is to enable unified and coordinated island development planning, which will hopefully accelerate the economic transformation of Negros and Siquijor. He also pointed out that the NIR Act intends to improve the efficiency of government service delivery.