PRESIDENT Duterte has abolished the Negros Island Region, created under the previous administration, to lessen government expenses and recalibrate funding for priority programs and projects.
Signed on Monday, Executive Order (EO) 38 revokes EO 183, Series of 2015 of former President Benigno S. Aquino III, which merged the two Negroses into the Negros Island Region. Due to EO 38, the Negros Island Region is split back into Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental.
EO 38 also shut down regional offices and regional councils instituted to govern the Negros Island Region. “All existing personnel of the [regional offices] shall return to their previous units of deployment, or reassigned to other offices within their respective departments or agencies,” EO 38 read.
“The winding up of the operations of the [regional offices], as well as the disposition of their functions, positions, personnel, assets and liabilities, shall be done immediately and completed not later than 60 days from the effectivity of this Order,” the EO added.
The President said regional offices under the Negros Island Region “requires substantial appropriation to be fully operational” and due to this, competes with priority programs and projects for funding.
Duterte added he cannot fund regional offices of the Negros Island Region at the expense of priority programs and projects.
“There is a need to ensure that priority government programs and projects are sufficiently funded,” Duterte said, explaining why he needs to revoke EO 183, Series of 2015.
EO 38 mandates the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to head the split of the Negros Island Region. The DILG is also granted power to issue guidelines on the abolition of the regional offices and regional councils.
Aside from this, the President also directed other government agencies to extend its full assistance to the DILG in the rolling out of the reversion process.
Aquino issued EO 183, Series of 2015, in a bid “to further accelerate the social and economic development of the cities and municipalities comprising the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental and improve the delivery of public services.”
Under the revoked order, regional councils were created to supervise the socioeconomic activities of the Negros Island Region. The National Economic and Development Authority was tapped to head the development council, the DILG was tasked to lead the peace and order council and the Office of Civil Defense was instructed to manage the disaster risk-reduction management council.
Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno last October said the Negros Island Region is an expensive exercise costing the government as much as P19 billion. The budget chief said the government can no longer afford this as it has other priorities, such as its infrastructure, blitz.
Diokno, however, assured the abolition of the Negros Island Region would not disrupt social services in the Negros provinces.