Why the Philippines keeps creating and dissolving this specific administrative region

Countries & Cities · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The Negros Island Region is a political puzzle that has been established, abolished, and reborn. By grouping two provinces on one island—plus a nearby neighbor—the government aims to streamline services. Yet, the path to this unity is marked by decades of debate, economic concerns, and intense local resistance.

The push for a unified region began in the 1980s, driven by the practical reality that Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental were separated by administrative borders despite sharing the same landmass. Proponents argued that the provinces were geographically and culturally linked, sharing forests, rivers, and ancestral history. For years, officials sought to consolidate regional offices to eliminate the need for residents to travel by sea to distant hubs in Cebu or Panay. Despite support from various sectors, early attempts stalled due to funding constraints and fears from some Negros Oriental leaders that their province would be economically overshadowed by its larger neighbor.

A breakthrough arrived in 2015 when President Benigno Aquino III signed Executive Order 183, officially creating the Negros Island Region. This integration promised better disaster management, tourism coordination, and infrastructure planning. However, the region’s lifespan was short; it was dissolved in 2017 by President Rodrigo Duterte after officials cited a high retention cost of 19 billion pesos. The dissolution left many local leaders disappointed, setting the stage for a renewed campaign that gained momentum in 2020.

The region was officially re-established in June 2024 as Republic Act 12000, signed by President Bongbong Marcos. This iteration expanded the scope to include Siquijor, a province previously part of Central Visayas. The new structure divides administrative duties between Bacolod and Dumaguete, which serve as joint regional centers. Despite the legislative victory, the move remains contentious. Critics, including clergy members and civil society groups, have challenged the law in court, arguing that the government failed to conduct sufficient public consultations before finalizing the merger.

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