• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental Fifth District Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo III has called on various government agencies under the Negros Island Region (NIR) to “prepare now” their respective annual budgets for 2026.
“It is not an overnight thing,” Yulo said, adding that consultations should be done, particularly in the provincial level involving the three provinces of the NIR.
The new administrative region is comprised of Negros Occidental, including the highly-urbanized Bacolod City, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.
About 70 percent of the regional offices are now operational, with respective designated heads in acting capacity, DILG-NIR acting assistant regional director Teodora Sumagaysay earlier said.
“We hope they can attain, at least a level, where all our line agencies will be able to submit their respective budgets to the Department of Budget and Management,” Yulo said.
The House Committee on Visayas Development will hold a meeting today to discuss updates on the status of the appointment of regional directors for NIR.
“We hope everything will be ready by the second quarter of the year or prepared after the election so that it will be included in the National Expenditure Program for 2026,” the lawmaker said.
For 2025, the budget of various government agencies for NIR are still from Region 6 (Western Visayas) and Region 7 (Western Visayas).
Some of the national government agencies that have already established offices in the NIR include the Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Agrarian Reform, Commission on Elections, Office of Civil Defense, Philippine Statistics Authority, and National Economic and Development Authority.
The Police Regional Office-NIR is also set to open a temporary regional office at Camp Alfredo M. Montelibano Sr. in Bacolod City. | GB
