First RDC-18 meeting set

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – The first meeting of the Regional Development Council, under the newly created Negros Island Region, or Region 18, has been scheduled on December 4 at the Nature’s Village Resort Hotel in Talisay City, Negros Occidental.

Efren Carreon, interim regional director of National Economic Development Authority, in a letter to the RDC members, said the agenda for the meeting will be: Approval of RDC manual operations; creation of its sectoral committees; making guidelines for the preparation of the region’s Annual Investment Program for 2017; and finalizing venues and dates of the council’s meeting in the future,

The RDC-18 is composed of Governors Alfredo Maranon Jr. of Negros Occidental and Roel Degamo of Negros Oriental, the mayors of the two Negros provinces, and the interim regional directors of various departments, he said.

The city mayors from Negros Occidental are Monico Puentevella of Bacolod, Ramon Torres of Bago, Isidro Zayco of Kabankalan, Alfredo Marañon III of Sagay, Jose Montelibano of Silay, Francis Palanca of Victorias, Oscar Montilla Jr. of Sipalay, Patrick Escalante of Cadiz, Juliet Marie Ferrer of La Carlota, Gerardo Valmayor of San Carlos, Eric Saratan of Talisay, Agustin Ernesto Bascon of Himamaylan, and Melecio Yap Jr. of Escalante.

The city mayors from Negros Oriental are Manuel Sagarbarria of Dumaguete City, Mercedes Goñi of Bais, Jimmy Jayme Clerigo of Canlaon, Lawrence Tevez of Tanjay, Ismael Martinez of Bayawan, and Carlo Jorge Joan Reyes of Guihulngan.

Also members of the RDC-18 are the presidents of the League of Municipalities: Mayors David Albert Lacson of EB Magalona town in Negros Occidental and Bentham Dela Cruz of Amlan, Negros Oriental.

The interim regional directors included in the RDC-18 are: Freddie Bernal of the Commission on Higher Education, Renato Manantan of the Department of Agriculture, Tita Rebollos of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Lakhsmi Legaspi of the Department of Health, Leah Delfinado of the Department of Public Works and Highways, Rowen Gelonga of the Department of Science and Technology, Shalain Marie Lucero of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Floro Ringca of the Technical Education Skills Development Authority. (FREEMAN)