OFFICIALS and regional directors of Negros Island Region (NIR) are expected to appear in the budget hearing at the House of Representatives on November 8.
Negros Occidental Provincial Planning and Development coordinator Ma. Lina Sanogal said that Governors Alfredo Marañon Jr. of Negros Occidental and Roel Degamo of Negros Oriental, along with the directors of regional line agencies, were invited to appear on the issue of NIR budget next month.
She said that Marañon had already directed them to prepare. She added that the regional directors were also told to prepare their accomplishment reports to show to the House that the young region is already “functional.”
“We have to show them our accomplishments. They have to see that we’re already functional,” she added.
Sanogal said that NIR leaders will emphasize in the hearing that the region will not need separate allocations for both provinces for now as it could still function even if its budget is still with their previous regions.
She also said that they will also show the resolutions supporting the continued existence of NIR from various sectors.
Sanogal said the House hearing was facilitated through the efforts of the Visayan congressmen led by Third District Representative Alfredo Benitez.
More support
A day after Negros leaders drafted and signed Monday a manifesto for the retention of NIR addressed to President Rodrigo Duterte, the Negros Island Regional Development Council (NI-RDC) also passed a resolution supporting the appeal.
The resolution was approved during the fourth NI-RDC Meeting held in Mabinay, Negros Oriental Tuesday.
Mabinay, located at the boundary of both Negros provinces, had strongly supported the creation of the NIR at the height of the campaign for the one-island region from 2014 to 2015.
During the meeting, Negros Occidental Planning Office head Ma. Lina Sanogal, who represented Governor Alfredo Maranon Jr., presented the Negros Island officials and leaders’ manifesto finalized during the forum held at the Capitol Social Hall here on Monday that was also attended by DILG Undersecretary Jesus Hinlo.
National Economic and Development Authority-NIR Director Efren Carreon, vice chair of NI-RDC and presiding officer, said the meeting aims to continue charting the direction the NI-RDC will tackle in the coming years.
For his part, Negros Oriental Roel Degamo said he can already see the development potentials of Region 8.
Edward Du, president of Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who is the private sector representative to the NI-RDC, said the partnership between the NOCCI and the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry especially on the Coordinating Roads and other Infrastructure Investments for Development has made a lot of progress under NIR.
DPWH-NIR Acting Regional Director Lea Delfinado reported that their central office has already approved proposed road projects in the NIR, including the Binalbagan-Isabela-Guihulngan Road and the San Carlos-Quezon-Vallehermoso Road with funding for 2017 in the amount of P297 million and P268 million, respectively.
Also included is the P1.2 billion foreign-assisted Manjuyod-Vallehermoso Road.
On Monday, Governors Marañon and Degamo led the signing of the one-page manifesto, titled “ An Appeal To Our President Rodrigo Roa Duterte From The Negrosanon.”