• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The suggestion that all regional offices of the newly-created Negros Island Region (NIR) be located in one area requires amendments to Republic Act 12000 or the NIR Act, Negros Occidental Fifth District Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo said Monday, Aug. 12.
He also said that during the transition period, which is the migration of Negros Occidental from Region 6 as well as Negros Oriental and Siquijor from Region 7, the budget needed will be carved out of the existing budget submitted by various government agencies in two regions to the 2025 National Expenditure Program, which will eventually form part of the General Appropriations Act.
However, the inclusion of the annual P1.2-billion budget for the NIR in the next three years may have to wait until 2026, Yulo said.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson earlier said that he prefers to have one place for all regional offices of various departments and line agencies, which was the original plan in the old NIR set-up.
The identified site then was at the border of Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, and Mabinay, Negros Oriental.
Mayor Benjie Miranda recalled that 500 hectares have been earmarked at the Central Philippines State University campus in Kabankalan City for the NIR regional center.
As stated in the provisions of RA 12000, regional offices will be assigned in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, with national government agencies having the discretion to establish sub- regional offices in any of the three NIR provinces, Yulo said.
The final draft of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) was completed during the meeting of the NIR Technical Working Group composed of representatives of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), the governors and the district representatives of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor held at Camp Crame in Quezon City last week.
Yulo said that copies of the final draft will be forwarded to the NIR governors, district representatives, various line agencies of the government, DILG, DBM and NEDA for their comments.
If there is none, the IRR will be signed before the end of August, during the ceremony proposed to be held in Siquijor, Yulo said.
He added that the NIR Roadmap is being targeted for submission to the Office of the President by Jan. 30 next year. | GB
