By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The 32 Negros Island Region (NIR) government offices have begun packing up and withdrawing from the region, following the recent signing of Executive Order No. 38, which dissolved the region.
Negros Occidental Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator, Dr. Ma. Lina Sanogal, said the regional office of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) will be the one to administer the dismantling of NIR regional offices under its umbrella, including the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Bureau of Jail Management (BJMP), among others.
In total, 14 regional offices are located in Bacolod City, while 16 are in Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental.
Sanogal added, those belonging to Negros Occidental will go back to Western Visayas or Region 6, which is based in Iloilo City; while those in Negros Oriental will return to Central Visayas or Region 7, based in Cebu City./WDJ