BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – Sitting Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez is confident that there will be funds for the Negros Island Region even as it has yet to be included in the country’s budget for 2025 and after failing to make the cut in the spending plan of the Palace.
“May ara na (There will be it),” was the short reply of Benitez when asked for his reaction by the local press.
Benitez, a close presidential ally and a primemover for the creation of the NIR, said the president signed Republic Act 12000 possibly when the P6.3 trillion National Expenditure Program for 2025 was already completed.
His statement was similar to that of presidential sister, Senator Imee Marcos, who said by the time the president signed the law, plans and preparations for the NEP have already been done.
Benitez did not give further details during the interview after he led the giving of free school supplies to pupils at a local public school.
The NEP is a spending plan prepared by the executive department that will become the bssis for the General Appropriations Act that will originate from and be approved by Congress.
One of the NIR’s supporters in the Senate , JV Ejercito, had earlier said the region is seen to have an allocation of P1.2 billion yearly for the first three years.
Senator Marcos, on the other hand, was also quoted by the local press to have said that there needs to be a game plan with the technical working group so they can include in the House deliberations even just the budget for skeletal offices of most important departments in the cities of Bacolod and Dunaguete.
