AS THE regional offices of the now dissolved Negros Island Region (NIR) are preparing to wind up their operations in 60 days, the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental is also getting ready to revert to its previous region.
Provincial Planning and Development Officer Ma. Lina Sanogal on Sunday, August 13, said she is set to meet with Regional Director Ro-ann Bacal of the National Economic Development Authority-Western Visayas in Iloilo City on Tuesday, August 15, to discuss the transition process.
Last week, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order 38 abolishing NIR.
With the dissolution of the NIR, the two provinces, along with the NIR regional offices, will be reverted to their previous regions – Negros Occidental to Western Visayas, and Negros Oriental to Central Visayas.
Sanogal said the special bodies created under the NIR, including the Regional Development Council (RDC), Regional Peace and Order Council, and Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, will be merged with those in Western Visayas and Central Visayas.
She said the RDC-Western Visayas, chaired by Antique Governor Rhodora Cadiao, will meet on September 5.
Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental will turn over their development plans and project proposals to the RDC-Western Visayas and RDC-Central Visayas, respectively, Sanogal said.
Moreover, Negros Occidental will also have to choose its representative from the private sector for the RDC-Western Visayas, she said.
Prior to the creation of NIR in 2015, Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. chaired RDC-6, but had to relinquish his post following the move to transfer the province to the newly-created region.
In the two-year run of the NIR, government officials and regional directors have emphasized notable accomplishments even with limited resources and budget.
This year, directors of various regional line agencies have also presented their budget proposals and programs in the NI-RDC meeting.
Among the projects endorsed by the NI-RDC was the proposed construction of additional roads to boost the economy and interconnectivity in Negros Island.
Some of the regional directors are seeking to retain the NIR regional offices as satellite offices to ensure faster delivery of basic services while some are proposing to extend the 60-day winding up of operations.
Most of the regional directors noted that the NIR dissolution will displace a number of job order employees and contractual workers in their agencies.
Under NIR, 14 regional offices were housed in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental while 16 others were hosted in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.
NIR was created on May 29, 2015 through EO 183 signed by former president Benigno Aquino III to accelerate social and economic development and to improve the delivery of public services in Negros Island.
Its creation also made it easier for both public workers and citizens to access government offices and services as the regional centers were established in the Negros Island.
Duterte abolished the young region due to lack of funds.