BACOLOD City – Anticipating the reestablishment of the Negros Island Region (NIR), Negros Oriental governor Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria has called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to establish regional offices in his province.
Negros Occidental governor Eugenio Jose Lacson initially planned to adhere to the existing regional office structure. However, after several discussions, a decision was made to establish new offices for both agencies.
This decision was met with approval from officials in Negros Occidental, especially in the health sector, who favored this approach over establishing separate regional offices for the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The progress of the NIR Bill, known as House Bill 7355, is also a topic of interest. Having cleared the House of Representatives in March, the bill now awaits action in the Senate. This bill not only proposes the reconstitution of NIR but also includes the island of Siquijor in the region.
In a meeting on Sept. 21, the governors of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor met with Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Joseph “JV” Ejercito to discuss the proposed administrative merger.
Zubiri expressed strong support, emphasizing the need to streamline government services for the public.
He noted that the current setup poses challenges for residents, who often have to travel to Iloilo or Cebu for government services. The creation of NIR would eliminate this inconvenience.
Furthermore, Zubiri plans to discuss the consensus reached among local chief executives with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Both Negros provinces and Siquijor have agreed on a list of locations for government agencies, which will be submitted to the Senate Committee on Local Government, chaired by Ejercito. (Watchmen Daily Journal)/PN
