IRR of REPUBLIC ACT NO. 12000, August 30, 2024

IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS (IRR) OF REPUBLIC ACT (RA) NO. 12000, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “NEGROS ISLAND REGION ACT”

Republic Acts August 30, 2024

Source

Rule 1

TITLE. PURPOSE AND SCOPE

SECTION 1. Title. – This issuance shall be known as the IRR of the Negros Island Region (NIR) Act.

SEC. 2. Purpose. – This IRR is promulgated pursuant to Section 7 of RA No. 12000, to prescribe the procedures and guidelines for its implementation.

SEC. 3. Scope. – This IRR shall cover the following:

a.	All concerned national government agencies (NGAs), including Constitutional Commissions and instrumentalities; and
b.	All local government units (LGUs) in the Provinces of Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, Negros Oriental and Siquijor;

SEC. 4. Composition. – The NIR shall be composed of the following provinces, including the cities, municipalities, and barangays thereof:

a.	Negros Occidental including Bacolod
b.	Negros Oriental; and
c.	Siquijor.

Rule 2

ESTABLISHMENT OF NEGROS ISLAND REGION GOVERNMENT OFFICES AND MECHANISMS

SEC. 5. Government Offices. – To ensure the effective delivery of public services within the NIR, regional or appropriate level official shall be established and designated in the following manner:

a.	Negros Occidental
	i.	Agriculture and Land-Related Cluster
		1.	Department of Agriculture;
		2.	Department of Environment and Natural Resources;
		3.	Department of Agrarian Reform; and
		4.	Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development;
	ii.	Peace and Order and Security Cluster
		1.	Department of Justice;
		2.	Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG);
		3.	Philippine National Police; and
		4.	Department of National Defense
	iii.	Governance Cluster
		1.	Department of Budget and Management (DBM);
		2.	Department of Finance;
		3.	National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA);
		4.	Department of Foreign Affairs;
		5.	Commission on Audit; and
		6.	Commission on Elections
b.	Negros Oriental
	i.	Human Development Cluster
		1.	Department of Education;
		2.	Department of Social Welfare and Development;
		3.	Department of Health;
		4.	Technical Education and Skills Development Authority;
		5.	Commission on Higher Education;
		6.	Civil Service Commission;
		7.	Philippine Statistics Authority; and
		8.	Department of Labor and Employment
	ii.	Infrastructure Cluster
		1.	Department of Public Works and Highways;
		2.	Department of Transportation;
		3.	Department of Information and Communications Technology; and
		4.	Department of Energy
	iii.	Industry Cluster
		1.	Department of Trade and Industry;
		2.	Department of Tourism;
		3.	Department of Science and Technology; and
		4.	Department of Finance – Securities and Exchange Commission

Further, NGAs including Constitutional Commissions and instrumentalities not mentioned above that are required by law to maintain regional presence in order to effectively and efficiently implement their programs, activities and projects may propose the establishment of NIR regional or appropriate level offices, as necessary, in accordance with the guidelines that will be issued by DBM pursuant to Section 11 of this IRR.

Provided, that the establishment of regional offices of attached agencies shall be subject to the approval of the head of the mother agency.

Provider, further, that NGAs, including Constitutional Commissions, and instrumentalities may establish satellite or front-line offices in the province of Siquijor.

Finally, to maintain parity and regional control, agencies listed in Section 5 of this IRR without established regional offices in other regions may establish the same level of regional presence in the NIR.

SEC. 6. Establishment of Regional Councils, Boards and Other Mechanisms. – The following regional-level councils, boards, and other mechanisms shall be established based on applicable laws, issuances, rules and regulations:

a.	Regional Development Council (RDC);
b.	Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC);
c.	Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC); and
d.	All other mandated regional bodies and mechanisms.

The organization of the RDC, RPOC, and RDRRMC shall be prioritized within the NEDA, DILG and the Office of Civil Defense issuing the necessary guidelines, respectively.

Government agencies serving a secretariat of particular regional councils, bodies or committees shall take the lead in organizing said regional councils, bodies or committees within six (6) months after the approval of this IRR.

Other regional-level mechanisms shall be organized based on applicable laws, issuances, rules and regulations.

Rule 3

NEGROS ISLAND REGION – TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP (NIR-TWG)

SEC. 7. Negros Island Region-Technical Working Group (NIR-TWG) . – The TWG shall be composed of the NEDA, DILG, DBM, and representative of the Office of the Governor of the provinces, and the representatives from all elected Members of the House of Representatives of the provinces in the NIR.

The DILG shall serve as the Secretariat of the NIR-TWG.

SEC. 8. Duties and Responsibilities.

a. Technical Working Group

The TWG shall, in consultation with other government agencies and instrumentalities, concerned LGUs and other stakeholders, formulate the roadmap to put in place all institutional arrangements for the NIR and arrange for the organizational development requirements, as well as other necessary concerned for development planning, investment programming and public services provision. This shall include, among others:

	i.	Recommendations on policies necessary to commence regional field operations, including the staffing and funding requirements for the establishment of regional or appropriate level offices such as the creation of additional Plantilla positions, transfer of existing positions, etc.
	ii.	Recommendations on the organization of vital regional mechanisms as stipulated in Section 6 herein.

The TWG shall invite concerned NGAs, local government officials and other stakeholders such as civil society organizations, the private sector, and the academe among others, as resource persons whenever necessary.

b. Government Agencies

All departments, agencies, bureaus, offices, commissions and other instrumentalities of the national government, shall extend their full assistance to the NIR-TWG in support for its duties and responsibilities.

c. Local Government Units

The LGUs in NIR shall assist the NIR-TWG and government agencies in the establishment of its regional, field, or appropriate level offices in the designated localities stated in Section 5 herein.

Rule 4

FUNDING

SEC. 9. Appropriations. – The amounts necessary to carry out provisions of the NIR Act and these rules shall be charged against the current year’s appropriations of agencies concerned, subject to applicable budgeting, accounting, and auditing laws, rules, and regulations. Thereafter, the amounts needed for the continuous implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act subject to the usual budget process.

Rule 5

TRANSITORY PROVISIONS

SEC. 10. Agency Transition Plan. – All government agencies and instrumentalities shall submit within ninety (90) days after the effectivity of this IRR their agency transition plans to the NIR-TWG for inclusion in the formulation of the NIR roadmap.

The contents of the transition plans of the agencies shall be based on the attached Agency Transition Plan 2025-2026 as prescribed by the NIR-TWG and shall include, but not limited, to the following:

a)	timetable for the establishment of the regional offices or appropriate level offices in their designated localities;
b)	transfer of properties, other assets and records from current regional offices to the NIR offices;
c)	creation of appropriate NIR organizational structure staffing pattern, and the corresponding personnel action; and
d)	proposed office location and other physical resources requirements.

Regional offices shall, prior to their full transfer, establish regional transitional offices in their designated localities based on Section 5 hereof within ninety (90) days after the approval of this IRR.

Regional satellite offices shall be manned by such manner of personnel as may be necessary to ensure unhampered operations and delivery of services in the region.

SEC. 11. Period of the Establishment of NIR Offices. – All regional or appropriate level offices shall be established within ninety (90) days after the approval of this IRR with the necessary personnel complement by the end of December 2026.

In the interim, the existing regional or appropriate level offices in Regions VI and VII shall provide assistance in facilitating the initial operations of the NIR, until such time that the necessary NIR offices are established therein.

The DBM shall prescribe the guidelines on organizational structure staffing pattern, and funding requirements of the offices in the NIR.

SEC. 12. NIR TWG. – The NIR-TWG shall cease to exist upon the acceptance of the NIR roadmap by the Office of the President (OP) which shall be submitted on or before the 30th of January 2025. Thereafter, the RDC shall oversee the implementation of the NIR roadmap and submit a report to the OP not later that the 15th day of December 2025, 2026, and 2027, unless otherwise required further by the OP.

Rule 6

FINAL PROVISIONS

SEC. 13. Separability Clause. – If any part or provision of this IRR shall be held invalid or unconstitutional for any reasons, the other parts or provisions hereof that are not affected shall remain in full force and effect.

SEC. 14. Repealing Clause. – All orders, guidelines, rules, regulations, and issuances, or parts thereof that are inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 15. Effectivity. – This IRR, or any amendments thereof, shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation, and upon filing of three (3) certified copies with the University of the Philippines Law Center.

Issued this 30th day of August 2024, Quezon City, Philippines.

APPROVED BY:

(SGD.) ARSENIO M. BALISACAN	(SGD.) AMENAH F. PANGANDAMAN
Secretary	Secretary
National Economic and Development Authority	Department of Budget and Management

(SGD.) BENJAMIN C. ABALOS, JR.

Secretary

Department of the Interior and Local Government

In witness whereof:

(SGD.) GERARDO P. VALMAYOR	(SGD.) ALFREDO D. MARAÑON III
Representative	Representative
1^st District of Negros Occidental	2^nd District of Negros Occidental

(SGD.) JOSE FRANCISCO B. BENITEZ	(SGD.) JULIET MARIE DE LEON FERRER
Representative	Representative
3^rd District of Negros Occidental	4^th District of Negros Occidental

(SGD.) EMILIO BERNARDINO L. YULO III	(SGD.) MERCEDES K. ALVAREZ
Representative	Representative
5^th District of Negros Occidental	6^th District of Negros Occidental

(SGD.) GREG G. GASATAYA

Representative

Lone District of Bacolod City

(SGD.) EUGENIO JOSE V. LACSON	(SGD.) ALFREDO ABELARDO B. BENITEZ
Governor	Mayor
Province of Negros Occidental	Bacolod City

(SGD.) JOCELYN S. LIMKAICHONG	(SGD.) MANUEL T. SAGARBARRIA
Representative	Representative
1^th District of Negros Oriental	2^th District of Negros Oriental

(SGD.) FERDINAND MARTIN G. ROMUALDEZ	(SGD.) MANUEL L. SAGARBARRIA
Representative	Governor
3^rd District of Negros Oriental	Province of Negros Oriental

(SGD.) ZALDY S. VILLA	(SGD.) JAKE VINCENT S. VILLA
Representative	Governor
Lone District of Siquijor	Province of Siquijor

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