Negros Island Region is no more with Duterte's order

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday issued an executive order (EO) revoking former President Benigno Aquino III's EO 183 which created the Negros Island Region (NIR).

Duterte's EO 183 reverts Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental to Western Visayas and Central Visayas, respectively.

The order noted that the establishment of regional offices of departments and agencies requires a substantial appropriation to be fully operational.

This follows reports that some government agencies have pulled out their personnel from the NIR as the region's budget was not included in the proposed national budget for next year.

"All existing personnel of the NIR [Regional Offices] shall return to their previous units of deployment, or reassigned to other offices within their respective departments/agencies," EO 183 read.

READ: ’Retain Negros Island Region’

The order directed the Department of the Interior and Local Government to supervise the reversion of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental provinces to their respective regions.

According to a report from Sun Star Bacolod, a Negros Occidental official said that they have been advised by the DILG to pull out their personnel from the NIR offices and revert to their respective provincial offices.

Ma. Lina Sanogal, provincial planning and development coordinator of Negros Occidental, said that they are looking forward to federalism as all regions will be revoked once the country shifts to a federal form of government.

Negros Island is the fourth largest island in the country with a land area of 13,351 square kilometers. It is composed of 19 cities, 38 towns and 1,219 barangays.

Upon Duterte's new order, Negros Occidental will again be a part of Western Visayas which covers Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras and Iloilo while Negros Oriental will revert to Central Visayas with Bohol, Cebu and Siquijor.

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