Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said almost 90 percent of the regional offices in the Negros Island Region are now operational.
Benitez said they were informed at a House Committee on Visayas Development meeting on Monday that of the 36 national government departments and agencies, 34 already have NIR regional heads.
They asked the representatives of the departments and agencies present at the House meeting what the status of their regional offices in the NIR were, Benitez said.
Only two departments have not officially designated an officer-in-charge or regional director, one of which is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, he said.
He asked the House Committee to write the secretaries of the two departments to ensure they appoint OICs who can dispense the duties of regional directors, Benitez added.
They are getting their budgets from their central offices for now, he said.
The next Congress after the elections will determine the funding needed by the NIR to be included in the 2026 national budget allocations, Benitez said.
Benitez said the creation of the NIR Regional Development Council is expected to be done after the May polls when newly elected officials assume their posts.*