• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
As the House Committee on Appropriations began budget deliberations for various departments, its vice-chairperson, Negros Occidental 6th District Representative Mercedes Alvarez, said yesterday that lawmakers from the Negros Island Region (NIR) will advocate for the inclusion of the 2026 NIR budget.
The NIR has a proposed allocation of P105.358 billion in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for fiscal year 2026, out of the P6.793 trillion proposed national budget for next year.
Alvarez said the proposed NIR budget will prioritize the establishment of regional offices and the funding of personnel for each agency. At least 11 national government agencies already have regional offices operating in the NIR.
In the absence of physical offices, Alvarez assured that the national government will continue implementing projects and programs in the region to serve its constituents.
At present, Alvarez noted that she has yet to obtain a detailed breakdown of the budget for each NIR regional office, as departmental deliberations are still ongoing.
Following the creation of the NIR, the separation of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor from Region 6 (Western Visayas) and Region 7 (Central Visayas) is expected to result in reduced budget allocations for the two regions, according to NEP data.
The proposed budget for Region 6 is P198.746 billion, while Region 7 is set to receive P234.943 billion.
With Negros Occidental now part of NIR, Region 6’s budget has decreased by 16 percent, or P37.852 billion, compared to its 2025 allocation. Region 7’s budget has also declined by 8.41 percent, or P21.582 billion.
Regarding the budget distribution among the three NIR provinces, Alvarez said it will be based on factors such as land area, population, and specific needs. | GB
