Visayan Bloc Unites Nearly 40 Lawmakers to Boost Regional Development

Bacolod Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez announced on Saturday that close to 40 of the 50 congressional members from the Visayas region are now part of the Visayan bloc. Benitez, who leads the group, organized a meeting on September 26 with lawmakers from the region, including newcomers to the House of Representatives. During the gathering, he shared the origins, mission, and strategic objectives of the bloc, emphasizing its focus on securing greater allocations and resources for Visayas.

Attendees from Negros Occidental included Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez of the 3rd district, Rep. Mercedes Alvarez of the 6th district, and Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Manuel Frederick Ko, as shown in a photo Benitez shared on social media.

The Visayan bloc traces its roots to the formation of the Visayas Caucus by Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez just one month before he resigned as House Speaker. The caucus aimed to unite House members from across Visayas for a more cohesive and influential regional presence in national legislation. Romualdez served as convenor, with regional chairs named for Western Visayas (Rep. Janet Garin), Central Visayas (Rep. Lolypop Ouano-Dizon), Eastern Visayas (Rep. Yedda Romualdez), and the Negros Island Region (Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer).

In a statement posted on Facebook, Benitez said that the Visayan Bloc was established "to strengthen regional collaboration toward meaningful reforms and progress for the region." He reaffirmed the group’s dedication to fostering lasting development for the people of Visayas through unified legislative efforts.