AS THE shutting down of operations of the Negros Island Region (NIR) nears, the Province of Negros Occidental will hold a thanksgiving dinner for the outgoing directors of regional line agencies on Friday.
Ma. Lina Sanogal, Provincial Planning and Development officer, said the fellowship dinner will be held at the Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod City.
She said that Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. would like to thank all the regional directors who have served the two-year-old region.
“He (Marañon) acknowledges they have performed very well despite all the constraints,” Sanogal added.
The regional offices under NIR should wind up their operations on October 9, or 60 days after President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order 38 abolishing the region.
Following the abolition of NIR, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental will revert to Western Visayas and Central Visayas, respectively.
On September 15, the Regional Development Council (RDC) in Western Visayas met with the officials of Negros Occidental at the Bacolod City Government Center.
The Provincial Government and the City Government of Bacolod presented their respective development agenda and proposed projects during the forum.
Among the priority development plans highlighted in the meeting were the proposed road networks connecting the two provinces. These are Himamaylan-Tayasan; Vallehermoso-San Carlos City; Canlaon City-San Carlos City; Guihulngan City-Isabela; Ayungon-Kabankalan City; and Bayawan City-Kabankalan City.
Antique Governor Rhodora Cadiao, chairperson of RDC-Western Visayas, earlier assured the Negros Occidental officials that the council will push for the major development projects in the province.
A series of consultation meetings were also conducted in the past weeks to fast track the reintegration of Negros Occidental to Western Visayas.