IN a rare show of unity, six members of Congress from Samar’s three provinces are rallying behind the move to create a new Samar Island Region (SIR) — seen as key to unlocking the island’s long-stalled growth and development.
They have jointly filed House Bill No. 4218, which seeks to carve out Samar Island as a distinct administrative region, separate from Eastern Visayas.
Leading the group is House Minority Leader Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan (4Ps Partylist), who once represented the lone congressional district of Eastern Samar.
He is joined by Eastern Samar Lone District Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales, Samar First District Rep. Stephen James Tan, Samar Second District Rep. Reynolds Michael Tan, Northern Samar First District Rep. Niko Raul Daza, and Northern Samar Second District Rep. Edwin Marino Ongchuan.
“This is not just an administrative measure — this is a matter of justice. For centuries, Samar has been left behind despite its enormous potential,” Libanan said.
“The Samar Island Region will finally allow Samarnons to oversee their own development, with government truly within reach of our people,” Libanan added.
The country’s third-largest island, Samar is composed of the three provinces of Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, and Samar (formerly Western Samar).
Despite its rich natural resources, vast coastlines, and proud history, the island has long suffered from neglect, with residents often forced to travel to Tacloban City in neighboring Leyte province to access basic national government services.
The bill’s authors stressed that establishing the Samar Island Region would bring government closer to the people, enable faster delivery of services, and provide the institutional focus needed to spur rapid infrastructure development, economic growth, and jobs creation.
The measure also underscores Samar’s deep historical significance, being the site of Magellan’s first landfall in the Philippines and home to historic uprisings against Spanish and American colonizers.
Once enacted, the Samar Island Region will become the country’s 19th administrative region, bringing national government presence directly to Samar’s more than 1.9 million residents.
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