• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has removed a provision in the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Negros Island Region (NIR) Act for the establishment of satellite offices of national government agencies.
This was confirmed yesterday by Negros Occidental Sixth District Rep. Mercedes Alvarez as she recalled that such provision in the IRR was approved by the technical working group (TWG) composed of the NIR legislators and governors during a meeting held at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
While she did not sign the IRR, copies of which already were forwarded to the other Negros lawmakers and the three governors, Alvarez said that she sent a letter to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), asking to reinstate such provision in the IRR.
She said though that for expediency purposes, she will not insist on it anymore as it may cause the delay in the operationalization of the NIR.
As stated in the provisions of Republic Act 12000, regional offices will be assigned in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, with national government agencies having the discretion of establishing sub-regional offices in any of the three NIR provinces, Fifth District Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo III earlier said.
The TWG is composed of the DILG, DBM, National Economic Development Authority, all the legislators and the governors of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.
Alvarez said the purpose of the NIR is for services of government to be closer to the people and to make it more efficient.
“For me, I won’t file the amendments now,” Alvarez said, adding that she will give it a chance to be implemented first.
The target is within 90 days after the approval of the IRR, the road map or transition plans of the national government agencies should start, she added.
During the transition period, which is the migration of Negros Occidental from Western Visayas, and of Negros Oriental and Siquijor from Central Visayas, the budget needed will be carved out from the existing budget submitted by various government agencies for the two regions in the 2025 National Expenditure Program, which eventually forms part of the General Appropriations Act.
The NIR Road Map is being targeted for submission to the Office of the President by Jan. 30 next year. | GB
