Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Sunday that he is very happy because various national government agencies have already started establishing their offices in the Negros Island Region, one year after it was established.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act (RA) No. 12000 or the Negros Island Region Act on June 13, 2024.
The NIR is an administrative region composed of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor, as well as the highly urbanized city of Bacolod.
“Its goal is to bring government services closer to the people and after one year, we are very happy because various national government agencies have started establishing their offices in Negros Island,” Lacson said.
“We are hoping that next year, when the budget for NIR is already included in the national budget, all regional offices will be fully operational,” he added.*