• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Department of Budget and Management has removed a provision in the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Negros Island Region that allows the establishment of satellite offices of government agencies in the new region’s provinces, Negros Occidental 6th district Representative Mercedes Alvarez disclosed yesterday.
Alvarez recalled that such a provision in the IRR was approved by the Technical Working Group (TWG), which included the NIR solons and governors, during a previous meeting at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
While she did not sign the IRR, copies of which have already been forwarded to other Negros solons and its three governors, Alvarez said she sent a letter to the Department of Interior and Local Government, asking them to reinstate the provision in the IRR.
But for purposes of expediency, the reelectionist solon said she will not insist on it anymore, stressing that it may cause the delays in the operationalization of NIR.
As stated in the provisions of RA 12000, regional offices will be assigned in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, with national government agencies having the discretion of establishing sub-regional offices in any of the three NIR provinces, 5th district Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo III said earlier.
The TWG is composed of the DILG, DBM, National Economic Development Authority, and all the solons and three governors of the Negros Island Region.
Alvarez said the purpose of NIR is for government services to be closer to the people, and to make it more efficient.
For me, I won’t file the amendments now, Alvarez said, adding that she will give it a chance to be implemented.
The target is within 90 days, after approval of IRR, that the road map, or transition plans of different agencies, should start, she added.
During the transition period, which is the migration of Negros Occidental from Region 6, and Negros Oriental and Siquijor from Region 7, the budget will be carved out from the existing budget submitted by various government agencies for the two regions in the 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP), which eventually forms part of the General Appropriations Act, Yulo said earlier.
The NIR Road Map is targeted for submission to the Office of the President by January 30 next year.*