• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Members of the Negros Island Region Technical Working Group held their first meeting on August 9 at Camp Crame in Quezon City, where they agreed to sign the Implementing Rules and Regulations within this month, according to Negros Occidental 5th district Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo.
It was also agreed during the meeting, which was attended by representatives of the Departments of Interior and Local Government, Budget and Management; and the National Economic Development Authority, to create satellite, or sub-regional offices in any of the three provinces of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor, Yulo said.
On the designation of NIR regional directors of various national agencies, it will be recommended by the concerned Cabinet secretaries to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., he added.
The cost of transitional offices will also be charged to the budgets of the respective national government offices, with additional financial requirements to be requested from DBM.
The signing of the NIR IRR is targeted between August 19 and 23, with the NIR Road Map up for submission to the Office of the President by January 30 next year, according to Yulo.
Bacolod Representative Greg Gasataya disclosed that the NIR TWG meeting was attended by Reps. Jose Francisco Benitez, Mercedes Alvarez, Jocelyn Limkaichong, Zaldy Villa of Siquijor, aside from him and Yulo, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, Siquijor Gov. Jake Villa, other representatives of NIR congressional districts, and local government units.*
