The Negros Island Region is beginning to take shape with national agencies starting to assign regional directors to the new region.
Among the first agencies to announce the appointment of NIR regional directors are the Department of Health (DOH) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Dr. Razel Nikka Hao has been appointed NIR Regional Director for Health.
She was previously the DOH regional director for Region 2, which covers Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, and Batanes.
The DOH regional office will be set up in Dumaguete City. Staff from regions 6 and 7 will temporarily man the DOH regional office but since the NIR is a law it will eventually have its own regular staff, Hao said.
Dr. Adriano Suba-an, DOH Western Visayas regional director, accompanied Hao who met with Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson on Wednesday, June 26.
Suba-an said the DOH Western Visayas is also be turning over the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City to the NIR.
CLMMRH, which is a tertiary and teaching hospital, is one of the biggest in the Philippines and will play a big role in the NIR, Suba-an, said.
COMELEC
Meanwhile, the Comelec has appointed lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano as NIR acting regional election director.
The Comelec also named lawyer Dindo Maglasang acting assistant regional election director, and lawyer Claudine Joyce Ballesteros acting regional election attorney.
The Comelec NIR regional office will be located in Bacolod City.
Gov, Lacson said he is happy with the appointments as “we want the NIR to be functional soon”.
REGIONAL OFFICES
Republic Act 12000 states that the NIR regional office clusters assigned to Negros Occidental are:
*Agriculture and Land-Related Cluster that includes the Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Agrarian Reform and Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development;
*Peace and Order and Security Cluster – Department of Justice, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police, and Department of National Defense; and
*Governance Cluster – Department of Budget and Management, Department of Finance, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Foreign Affairs, Commission on Audit and Commission on Elections.
The clusters assigned to Negros Oriental are:
*Human Development Cluster – Department of Education, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Commission on Higher Education, Civil Service Commission, Philippine Statistics Authority and Department of Labor and Employment;
*Infrastructure Cluster – Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Transportation, Department of Information and Communications Technology, and Department of Energy; and
*Industry and Labor Cluster – Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Tourism, Department of Science and Technology and Department of Finance – Securities and Exchange Commission.*