In a bid to fast-track regional growth and raise living standards, the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) kicked off the 2025 Siquijor-Negros Island Business Week on July 2 in Bacolod.
The event brought together stakeholders from Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor to tackle shared economic hurdles and foster deeper collaboration despite the region still lacking an official Regional Development Council.
Negros Island officially broke away from Western Visayas in June 2024 after President Marcos signed Republic Act No. 12000, reviving the Negros Island Region (NIR). The region, which also includes Siquijor and Negros Oriental, aims to streamline governance and boost island-wide development.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson stressed that Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental have long been divided by bureaucracy rather than geography, an arrangement that has hindered collaboration and progress. He underscored the island’s shared heritage and vision, urging a unified approach to development and regional growth.
He noted that events like the business week pave the way for broader regional benefits, from enhanced security and disaster response to stronger tourism, environmental management, and access to services. “In short, it creates fertile ground for economic transformation,” he added.
Meanwhile, Siquijor has rapidly transformed into one of the Philippines’ most sought-after tourism destinations. According to Agoda’s 2024 ranking, the island ranked as the
fastest-growing travel destination in the country, with 241,529 visitor arrivals, surpassing its pre-pandemic count of 168,366.
(Also read: DOE, Siquijor Seal Solar Deal to Power Public Buildings)
Bright prospects for regional growth
In 2024, NIR ranked as the 7th fastest-growing regional economy in the Philippines, posting a 5.9% growth rate, slightly above the national average of 5.7%. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the region’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expanded by 5.9% to ₱636 billion, marking an increase of approximately ₱35.4 billion from 2023.
Construction led regional growth in 2024, followed by strong gains in health services, hospitality, and business sectors. Meanwhile, the economy remains anchored in trade, agriculture, and manufacturing—its three biggest contributors by industry share.
In early 2025, the launch of a dedicated National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)‑NIR regional office in Bacolod City marked a critical step toward coordinated planning and policy execution across Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor. NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan affirmed that the office will lead the formulation of NIR’s first-ever comprehensive development strategy, ensuring that growth initiatives reach every community.
In 2024, local leaders backed a proposed Negros Island “economic superhighway”, a major cross-island infrastructure upgrade intended to connect the two provinces and facilitate smoother movement of goods, people, and services. Officials explained this strategic corridor would advance regional integration, boost tourism, and improve logistics and trade resilience.
Power woes persist
However, reliable energy is necessary for sustaining growth in NIR. Negros Island continues to rely on power imports from Panay and Cebu, which host over 400 megawatts (MW) and 1,000 MW of embedded base load capacity, respectively. Meanwhile, local demand on the island is nearing 300 to 350 MW, highlighting the urgent need for self-sufficient energy generation. Frank Carbon, Vice President of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce & Industry, has warned that NIR’s power outlook remains “precarious” without its own 300 to 400 MW embedded baseload plant, whether coal or natural gas. He highlighted that economic progress in the NIR will remain slow without a dedicated power plant to ensure stable and secure energy for the region. He emphasized that variable renewable sources and submarine cables cannot meet round‑the‑clock demand. “No power means no investments. No investments mean no jobs and livelihood creation,” he said, adding that if connections to Cebu and Panay are severed, and Palimpinon becomes the island’s sole power source, “we will have rotating brownouts until we are reconnected to Cebu or Panay.”
At the March 2024 Negros Island Power Forum, business leaders and government stakeholders resolved to form the Negros Island Power Development Coordinating Council (NIPDCC). At the time, Negros Island faced a nightly power shortfall of 50 to 100 MW, prompting reliance on supply from neighboring islands to bridge the gap.
This body aimed to craft a roadmap to secure a consistent energy supply, integrate cooperatives and utilities, and plan for investment in infrastructure, including on-island generation capacity.
(Also read: Negros Power Finishes Bacolod-Silay Grid Upgrade)
Focus on Siquijor
Poverty in Siquijor fell sharply in recent years, from 7.2% in 2018 to 2.2% in 2021, marking one of the lowest rates in Central Visayas.
In 2021, Siquijor moved to reopen its tourism sector as part of a broader economic recovery effort amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor Zaldy Villa emphasized the province’s strong dependence on tourism.
To boost tourism, Siquijor invested heavily in infrastructure upgrades. Its provincial airport was overhauled in 2021 with a new terminal, expanded runway, taxiway, apron, and other facilities, increasing passenger capacity. The island’s port also doubled its berth capacity, added roll-on/roll-off ramps, and built a larger cargo area to ease congestion. In May 2024, a direct boat service between Dapitan and Siquijor was launched to improve inter-island travel and expand tourist access.
In 2024 alone, the island recorded over 240,000 overnight visitors, placing it fourth among provinces in Central Visayas in terms of tourist volume.
But in early June, Siquijor declared a state of calamity as widespread and prolonged power outages exposed the island’s fragile energy system. All six generation units of the Siquijor Island Power Corporation (SIPCOR), the island’s sole power provider, began to fail. President Marcos visited to demand urgent action and set a six-month deadline for a long-term solution, stating, “The victims are the ordinary people of Siquijor… They are losing that opportunity to develop because of power shortages.”
Meanwhile, Governor Jake Villa cautioned that the persistent blackouts were disrupting critical services and putting Siquijor’s tourism-reliant economy at serious risk. “Last year, our tourist arrivals hit 1.3 million,” he stated. “If we lose our tourists because they are not satisfied with the services of the establishments, this would interrupt and disrupt our economy.”
Fueling the future
The Negros Island Region holds immense potential for sustainable growth, driven by its tourism appeal and thriving industries. But without a stable and reliable power supply, its potential for development is stunted. Energy is the backbone of development—powering businesses, attracting investment, and sustaining livelihoods. Without it, progress slows, opportunities fade, and the region’s momentum could be lost before it fully takes off.
Dumaguete MetroPost Columnist William Ablong, who spends considerable time in Siquijor, called out the island’s brittle energy setup, where “when SIPCOR falters, PROSIELCO has no power to distribute. And when PROSIELCO’s lines malfunction, SIPCOR’s generated power can’t reach consumers.”
Meanwhile, Philippine Star Columnist Iris Gonzales wrote, “The island is plagued by blackouts.” During her visit, outages were a near-daily occurrence, disrupting both residents and tourists. Many accommodations on the island lacked backup generators, leaving guests to endure the oppressive heat—even after sundown.
“It may be caused by the usual problem that hounds cooperatives—corruption and mismanagement,” she noted.
Oblong argued this isn’t just about broken generators or damaged lines—it’s a governance failure. Recurring outages, he said, expose deeper cracks: “ineffective planning, lack of transparency, weak coordination, and insufficient public accountability.” For him, it all points to one thing: “We deserve answers—and more importantly, we deserve results.”
Sources:
https://www.panaynews.net/siquijor-and-negros-island-business-week-kicks-off-in-bacolod/
https://business.inquirer.net/512457/siquijor-on-the-map-a-rising-star-in-ph-tourism
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1248487
https://dailyguardian.com.ph/business-leader-pushes-for-power-plant-in-negros
https://pia.gov.ph/negros-oriental-leaders-support-proposed-negros-island-economic-superhighway
https://rsso07.psa.gov.ph/content/poverty-incidence-province-siquijor-among-families-22-percent-2021
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1129866
https://pia.gov.ph/siquijor-under-state-of-calamity-due-to-power-crisis
https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/640812/siquijor-declares-state-of-calamity-due-to-power-crisis
https://tribune.net.ph/2025/06/15/siquijor-power-woes-resolved-palace
https://manilastandard.net/business/biz-plus/363368/dotr-upgrades-siquijor-port-airport.html
https://mb.com.ph/2024/5/16/siquijor-dapitan-tourism-connectivity-launched
https://metropost-online.com/a-call-for-sustainable
https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2025/04/22/2437410/black-magic-blackouts