President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed two laws to establish the Negros Island Region and improve tax collection in the country.

The two laws -- the Negros Island Region (NIR) Act, or the Republic Act 12000, and the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act (RPVARA), or RA 12001 -- are expected to significantly contribute to the collective efforts in driving the country forward under a “Bagong Pilipinas.”

“Today, we sign into law two bills ? the Negros Island Region Act or the NIR Act and the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act. This moves us closer to attaining the vision of a resilient and a progressive and newer Philippines,” President Marcos said.

Marcos made the remarks during the ceremonial signing on Thursday afternoon.

The NIR Act ? which establishes the Negros Island Region ? will unify the provinces of Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, Negros Oriental and Siquijor to promote administration decentralization; strengthen local autonomy; and accelerate economic, cultural and social development.

“This union is long overdue and makes very practical sense, especially in the Negros Island, where people are located on one island but are governed under separate administrative regions,” Marcos said.

“So, for decades now, Negrenses have endured the rigors of sea travel, unnecessary expenses, bureaucratic red tape, [and] inefficiency that this arrangement has brought, especially when there is a need to urgently access government services from regional centers on other islands,” he added.

The chief executive also noted the glaring uneven growth and disparity of funding between the two provinces, which share many of same natural resources and industries such as sugar, tourism and renewable energy.

The RPVARA, on the other hand, is one of the priority legislations, and is included in the Common Legislative Agenda of the Marcos administration aligned with the 8-Point Socioeconomic Agenda.

He said the RPVARA adopts the prevailing market value as the single real property valuation base for the assessment of real property tax and complements with the government’s efforts to modernize services in the local government units through Real Property Information System.

Marcos said the administration has adopted a strategy that will instill and encourage long-term and consistent text compliance by providing a two-year amnesty on interests and penalties for taxpayers with unpaid real property tax. Presidential News Desk