The Negros Island Region Act

On June 11, 2024, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed into law Republic Act No. 12000, officially establishing the Negros Island Region (NIR). This milestone legislation fulfills the long-standing aspiration of the Negrense and Siquijodnon people to be united under a single administrative region, significantly contributing to the collective efforts of driving the country forward under a "Bagong Pilipinas."

For decades, residents of the island endured the rigors of sea travel, unnecessary expenses, and bureaucratic red tape just to urgently access government services from regional centers located on other islands. This union addresses those logistical inefficiencies and targets the glaring uneven growth between provinces that share the same natural resources and industries, such as sugar, tourism, and renewable energy.

"It is hereby declared the policy of the State to promote efficiency in the government to enable it to pursue programs consistent with national goals for accelerated social and economic development. Pursuant to this policy, the State shall promote administrative decentralization to strengthen local autonomy and accelerate the economic, cultural, and social development of the region."

Composition & Scale of the Region

Envisioned as a new center of development in the Visayas and a bulwark of greater growth, the Negros Island Region unites the following:

Regional Offices and Clusters

To ensure the effective, localized delivery of public services and to provide strategic convergence regarding resources and economic planning, regional offices are designated into specialized clusters across the island.

The Department of Education (DepEd) proudly serves within the Human Development Cluster, which is strategically headquartered in Negros Oriental. To service the vast scale of the island, the DepEd NIR operates an extensive educational network:

This setup empowers the agency to efficiently address the educational needs of learners across the entire region, fostering a unified, accessible, and high-quality basic education system for all.