The budget for the Negros Island Region has not been included in the 2025 national budget.
Senator Imee Marcos made this revelation in a press conference Thursday in Bacolod City, after she addressed the gathering of Councilors in Negros Island.
Marcos discussed with Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental officials the need to come up with a game plan to have a budget at least for skeletal offices of the most important offices in Bacolod and Dumaguete.
She said the President approved the NIR law only two or three months ago and as such, there are yet no Internal Rules and Regulations (IRR).
She said the original time line is to begin the implementation of the NIR after the 2025 election and will be implemented in the next two years.
It’s a matter of grave concern because our people are really expecting so much from the big change of NIR.
I believe it’s very important for the very large departments to at least begin the establishment of a permanent office.
Gov. Chaco Sagarbarria said while he is thankful to the President for having the bill approved, what Senator Imee Marcos has said is to be expected. He said some offices have approached him to ask for the Comelec office. He said he has already allocated offices for the Comelec and the Department of Health, even though he knows these offices still do not have a budget.
“These are birthing pains for NIR”. He said he expects projects and programs to be started during the transition period.
“There are still so many things to be done. I believe this will still take two to three years. But it’s practically all positive. We are just going along with minor changes,” Sagarbarria said.
Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said the NIR promises a lot of advantages and said he is confident that Negros has friends in the Senate and that we can find ways to do that.
He said he is confident that the President will not leave NIR alone, for the good of the island.
For now, the 2025 budgets for Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental as well as Siquijor are still in the budgets of their previous regions, Sen. Marcos said.
Meanwhile, Negros Occidental 6th District Rep. Mercedes Alvarez said Local Government Secretary Benjain Abalos Jr. is scheduled to president over a meeting of the Technical Working Group on the Negros Island Region next week.
The meeting is expected to takle the proposed NIR Internal Rules and Regulations or amendments.
The governors of Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental and Siquijor are expected to attend the TWG meeting, along with officials of the Department of Budget and Management, National Economic and Development Authority and the Department of Interior and Local Government.
