Rep. Libanan is the main proponent
TACLOBAN CITY – The proposal to establish a separate administrative region for Samar Island is once again gaining traction, as six legislators from the island have thrown their support behind House Bill No. 4218 filed by 4Ps party-list Representative and House Minority Floor Leader Marcelino Libanan.
If passed, the measure will create the Samar Island Region (SIR) as the country’s 19th region, separating Samar Island’s three provinces—Samar, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar—from Leyte and Biliran, which are currently part of Eastern Visayas (Region VIII).
The bill is co-authored by lawmakers representing Samar Island: Eastern Samar Lone District Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales, Samar First District Rep. Stephen James Tan, and his brother, Second District Rep. Reynolds Michael Tan, Northern Samar First District Rep. Niko Raul Daza, and Northern Samar Second District Rep. Edwin Marino Ongchuan.
Libanan emphasized that the push for a new region is rooted in long-standing issues of neglect and underdevelopment.
“This is not just an administrative measure—this is a matter of justice. For centuries, Samar has been left behind despite its enormous potential,” he said in a statement.
He added that a Samar Island Region would bring government services closer to communities, eliminating the need for residents to travel to Tacloban City or Palo, Leyte, where most regional offices of national agencies are currently located.
Samar Island, the country’s third largest, is rich in natural resources and has a notable historical significance, but it continues to grapple with high poverty incidence, limited infrastructure, decades-old insurgency problems, and frequent exposure to natural disasters such as typhoons.
By establishing SIR, lawmakers believe economic growth, better employment opportunities, and improved public services can be more effectively achieved, with development efforts overseen by leaders who are directly attuned to the needs of Samarnons.
This is not Libanan’s first attempt at creating the Samar Island Region.
In the 19th Congress, he filed House Bill No. 10727, which also included the creation of a Technical Working Group to determine the ideal location of the proposed regional center.
The initiative has not only gained support from Samar’s political leaders but also from church leaders and civic groups.
In June 2023, the 47th Samar Island Partnership for Peace and Development (SIPPAD)—a convergence of the three Catholic dioceses of Borongan, Calbayog, and Catarman, along with the Philippine Army, police, local governments, and non-government organizations—endorsed the creation of a separate region, viewing it as a catalyst for genuine development across the island provinces.
ROEL T. AMAZONA
