Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez gives an update on the NIR during his press conference on Monday*
The regional directors of the national government agencies in Western and Central Visayas are set to meet in mid-February to discuss the allocation of personnel and facilities for the new regional offices of the Negros Island Region, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Monday, Feb. 3.
The NIR is expected to officially be operational on Feb. 19, or 15 days following the publication of its implementing rules and regulations (IRR).
The meeting of the regional directors is tentatively set on Feb. 17 “but we might want to bring it a bit earlier so that after Feb. 18, we can hit the ground running and we will know what to do,” Benitez, who is the outgoing chairman of the Regional Development Council of Western Visayas, said.
They are also pushing for the convening of the NIR Regional Development Council a few weeks after Feb. 18, Benitez said.
The timeline suggested by the NIR technical working group is the end of the year, but Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong (Neg. Or. 1st District) has requested that it should be done earlier, he said.
NIR is composed of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.
Negros Occidental has been part of Western Visayas, and Negros Oriental and Siquijor of Central Visayas.
Benitez said it has been agreed that all national government agencies will have a presence in all three provinces of the NIR, though regional and satellite offices.*