THE proposed Regional Government Center (RGC), which will rise at the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) Bago Oshiro, is awaiting President Rodrigo Duterte's endorsement.

Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Assistant Secretary Anthony Sales, who heads the Association of Regional Executives of National Agencies 11 (Arena 11), said the request for the 94.7-hectare regional center needs an executive order, providing for the transfer of the land title to the government.

"We hope that the order will be released by June, so that we can start with our preparatory activites towards the establishment of the RGC," Sales said Wednesday, April 10, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

Sales, together with Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 11 Regional Director Ruth Tawantawan, presented the plan during the regular session before the 18th City Council.

He said the memorandum of understanding (MOU) was also submitted to the local council for approval, to be submitted afterwards to Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio for signature.

RGC will be a one-stop concept center will situate all government agencies in one area.

The plan was announced last February, aiming to bring better public services to Dabawenyos.

Arena former president and National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Regional Director Maria Lourdes Lim said the other 11 regions including Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) have their own government centers with a "one-stop center" concept.

Lim said RGC would bring administrative efficiency and better services since the government offices will be nearer each another.

Sales said the total number of agencies that will occupy the center has yet to be determined.

Although he said that there are some agencies who continue to apply for occupancy.

"That is why we requested other agencies who would need lesser spaces, to allocate to others instead," Sales said.

He said an average size of one hectare will be initially alloted to agencies for office spaces only.

But for agencies with laboratories such DOST, he said it would need additional space.

Sales said they would also deal with affected informal settlers.

"We would want to ammicably negotiate with them. We proposed to transfer them to a middle rise building," he said.

Sales is positive that the RGC will be completed before the end of Duterte's administration.