BACOLOD CITY, Sept. 23 (PNA) — The Provincial Capitol currently awaits the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) guidelines on the set-up of government offices in the newly-created Negros Island Region (NIR) or Region 18.
This was disclosed by Capitol consultant Rafael Coscolluela, after meeting with Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. and Provincial Planning and Development Officer Ma. Lina Sanogal for the update on the new region.
Coscolluela said they are hoping that the DBM Department will release the guidelines within this week.
He added that the guidelines are more important than the Implementing Rules and Regulations, as “it will be used as the basis of the line agencies to establish their interim offices.”
Coscolluela said that after the guidelines are released, line agencies will designate their acting regional directors by October 1.
He said that once interim regional directors are already in place, the National Economic and Development Authority, which functions as the vice chair and secretariat of the Regional Development Council, can already convene RDC-18.
The former governor said temporary NIR offices in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental and in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental are expected to partially open in Oct. 1, as part of the three-year transition period.
At least 16 regional offices will hold their interim offices in Dumaguete City while Bacolod City will temporarily house 14 regional offices. These offices are expected to be fully operational in January next year.
The creation of the NIR or Region 18 was made through Executive Order 183 signed by President Benigno Aquino III on May 29. It separated Negros Occidental from Western Visayas and Negros Oriental from Central Visayas.(PNA)