QUEZON CITY — Negros Island Region is now officially known as Region 18.
Vice Gov. Mark Macias told the MetroPost that the interim regional offices will be established starting in October, while the National Economic Development Authority and the Department of Budget & Management expressed hopes that the Negros Island Region will already be included in the 2016 National Budget.
These were among the points discussed in the meeting of the Negros Island Region Technical Working Group last Friday at the DILG office here in Quezon City.
The meeting, presided by Interior & Local Government Sec. Mar Roxas, was attended by the TWG members of the two Negros provinces, led by their respective governors, as well as representatives from the Office of the President, the DBM and NEDA.
The members of the TWG for Negros Oriental are Gov. Roel Degamo, Vice Governor Macias, Board Member Erwin Macias, Provincial Administrator Richard Enojo, Dr. Henry Sojor, Dr. Enrique Oracion, Glendol Badon, Engr. Franco Alpuerto, Marichu Alpuerto, Atty. Tabitha Tinagan, Dr. Ben Malayang III, Bienvenido Baniqued, and Dr. Everett Mendoza.
The members of the TWG secretariat are Adrian Sedillo, Elgie Magallano, Eugenio Villaflores, and Benedict Baniqued.
During Friday’s meeting, Board Member Arnie Teves, Mayors’ League President Bentham dela Cruz, and Mabinay Mayor Django Uy were also recognized and their inputs were made part of the TWG recommendations.
Dumaguete City did not have any representative in the TWG meeting.
The TWG also divided the regional offices between the two Provinces and Negros Oriental was given the chance to pick first.
The interim regional offices to be located in Negros Oriental are:
Human Development cluster A: Technical Education & Skills Development Authority, Department of Education, Department of Social Welfare & Development, Department of Health, and Commission on Higher Education;
Human Development cluster B: Civil Service Commission, Philippine Statistics Authority, and Professional Regulation Commission;
Infrastructure cluster: Department of Public Works & Highways, Department of Transportation & Communications and attached agencies, including Land Transportation Office, Maritime Industry Authority, Land Transportation Franchising & Regulatory Board, and National Telecommunications Commission;
Industry and Labor cluster: Department of Labor & Employment, Department of Trade & Industry, Department of Tourism, Department of Science & Technology, and Securities and Exchange Commission.
The interim regional offices that will be in Negros Occidental are:
Agriculture and Land-related cluster: Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment & Natural Resources, Department of Agrarian Reform, and Housing & Land Use Regulatory Board;
Peace and Security cluster: Department of Justice and attached agencies, including National Bureau of Investigation;
Department of the Interior & Local Government and attached agencies, including Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management & Penology, Philippine National Police, Department of National Defense, and Office of Civil Defense;
Governance cluster A: DILG and agencies attached to local government sector, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Finance, and National Economic Development Authority;
Government cluster B: Commission on Audit and Commission on Elections.
Macias said that the TWG may discuss in future meetings how the provincial offices will function in relation to the interim regional offices. Provincial offices whose regional offices are in the other province may accept documents for the regional offices so people will be spared from having to go to the other province to get their regional papers done, he said.
There is also an agreement among both provinces that the regional director will spend at least one day in the other province each week, Macias said.
