TEN Negros congressmen wrote Duterte a letter asking him to reconsider his stand on the establishment of NIR.
In a letter dated October 10, the congressmen said the EO paved the way for the unification of the two Negros provinces.
“We are already on the right track towards achieving our two decades old dream of unified Negros provinces to fast track development through an integrated ecosystems-based planning and program implementation. We are just beginning to chart our own destiny,” the lawmakers said.
The letter cited said Memorandum Circular No. 81 issued by former president Benigno Aquino III on August 6, 2015 directing all heads of national government agencies to establish the NIR regional offices.
Another is Department of Budget Management Circular Letter No. 2015-13 issued on December 1, 2015 which specifies the transitory guidelines on the organization, staffing, and funding requirements to implement the EO.
“Since last year, over 35 national government agencies and attached bureaus have already set up their interim regional offices in Bacolod and Dumaguete Cities and are just waiting for their MOOEs to be released,
with DBM ready with their separate account codes,” the letter said.
The lawmakers further stated that the Philippine Statistical Authority has started generating for NIR, which has been assigned to its own code, separate statistical data based on the 2015 census of population to help facilitate the formulation of plans, programs, and projects in the region.
Those who signed are seven Negros Occidental congressmen, namely Greg Gasataya of Bacolod City, Melecio Yap Jr. of First District, Leo Cueva of Second District, Alfredo Benitez of Third District, Juliet Ferrer of Fourth District, Alejandro Mirasol of Fifth District, and Mercedes Alvarez-Lansang of Sixth District, and three from Negros Oriental, including Jocelyn Sy-Limkaichong of First District, Manuel Sagarbarria of Second District, and Arnulfo Teves of Third District.
Benitez said they signed the letter this week and they will wait for the response of the national government. (MPE)