BACOLOD CITY, June 18 (PNA) — The newly-formed Negros Island Region (NIR) will go through a three-year transition period before its regional center is fully established.
The location of the regional center is being proposed at the boundary of Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental and Mabinay town in Negros Occidental.
During the transition period, the two provinces will divide the location of the regional offices of the 35 line government agencies. This will be determined during the first meeting of the NIR Technical Working Group (TWG) on June 19.
“That means if a regional office is in Negros Occidental, residents of Negros Oriental will have to go here for regional transaction with a certain agency. Those from Negros Occidental will go through the same if a regional office is located in Negros Oriental,” Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. said.
He added: “That is only temporary because the buildings that will house the permanent regional offices will be constructed within the three-year period.”
Marañon also said the budget for NIR will be included in the 2016 General Appropriations Act which will be deliberated by Congress starting July.
The two Negros provinces will still receive their respective Internal Revenue Allotment shares for the year, he said.
For the remaining months of the year, the NIR government line agencies will operate from their present budget.
During the Friday meeting, the TWG is expected to finalize the draft on the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the newly-created region.
The TWG, composed of representatives from the Office of the President, Department of Budget and Management, National Economic Development Authority, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and representatives of the two provinces, is tasked to formulate a roadmap to put in place the institutional arrangements.
Negros Occidental representatives to the TWG include former governor-now Capitol consultant Rafael Coscolluela and Assistant Provincial Legal Officer Mary Ann Manayon-Lamis
Others are Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Frank Carbon, Kabankalan City Mayor Isidro Zayco, Third District Rep. Alfredo Benitez, Provincial Planning and Development Officer Ma. Lina Sanogal, Provincial Budget Officer Percival Joy Salado, Provincial Environment Management Officer Wilfred Ramon Peñalosa, Provincial Public Information Officer Karen Dinsay, Executive Assistant to the Governor Eric Loretizo, and University of St. La Salle Research Center Director Romeo Teruel. (PNA)