• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Department of Health (DOH) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) have designated their respective regional directors for the newly-created Negros Island Region (NIR).
Dr. Razel Nikka Hao, who met with Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson on Wednesday (June 26), said that she was designated last week as the regional director of DOH Center for Health and Development (CHD) of NIR, which is composed of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.
Prior to her present position, Hao was the director of DOH Region 2 (Cagayan Valley).
She was accompanied by DOH-Western Visayas Regional Director Adriano Suba-an, Undersecretaries Gloria Balboa and Mary Ann Maestral and Provincial Health Officer Ma. Girlie Pinongan during a courtesy call to Lacson at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City.
Suba-an said the DOH CHD of Western VIsayas will turn over the supervision of the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital to NIR.
The DOH CHD for NIR will be located in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Suba-an said.
Hao said they will initially have staff from both DOH Western Visayas and Central Visayas.
Lacson said the regional offices of Agriculture, Agrarian Reform, Justice, Foreign Affairs, Environment and Natural Resources, Interior and Local Government and Commission on Audit will be set up in Negros Occidental.
Their respective sub-regional offices will be placed in Negros Oriental and Siquior.
Meanwhile, Comelec Chairman Erwin Garcia designated Leonil Marco Castillano as the acting Regional Election Director of NIR. | GB
