Gov. Sagarbarria elected chair of Negros Island RDC

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY – Negros Oriental Governor Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria has been elected chairperson of the Regional Development Council for the newly established Negros Island Region.

Christina Marie Gaston, representing the Association of Negros Producers from Negros Occidental, will serve as co-chairperson.

The election took place during the full council and sectoral committee organizational meeting of RDC-NIR on Wednesday at the Plenary Hall of the Negros Oriental Convention Center in Dumaguete City.

The event was led by the Department of Economy, Planning and Development and gathered local officials and stakeholders from Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who was appointed chairperson of the Regional Peace and Order Council-NIR in April, was also named chair of the Economic Development Committee in RDC-NIR, with Gaston again serving as co-chair.

Other leadership roles include Dumaguete City Mayor Manuel “Chiquiting” Sagarbarria as chair and Edward Du of the Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry as co-chair for the Infrastructure Development Committee; Canlaon City, Negros Oriental Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas as chair and Profetiza Lim of the Negros Oriental Union of Cooperatives as co-chair for the Social Development Committee; and Lailyn Ortiz, director of the Department of the Interior and Local Government-NIR, as chair and Carmenia Benosa of the Little Children of the Philippines Foundation as co-chair for the Development Administration Committee.

Siquijor Governor Jake Vincent Villa also attended the meeting.

Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya was absent due to prior commitments but voiced support for the new regional council.

“It’s memorable and historical,” Gasataya said, noting it is the first time a newly created region will have its own RDC.

While expressing full support, he said his focus remains on Bacolod City as a highly urbanized city.

“We will help, but to have additional functions with RDC, I would rather give it to those who have time,” he said, adding that he will focus on Bacolod for now.

Bacolod lone district Rep. Alfredo “Albee” Benitez chaired the RDC for Western Visayas in 2022 during his mayoral term when Bacolod was still part of Region 6.

The RDC is the region’s highest policy-making body, organizing and guiding all economic and social development initiatives while aligning local projects with national programs.

Its structure and functions foster collaboration among local government units, regional line agencies, and the private sector.

The council’s key responsibilities include prioritizing and assessing investment programs for funding authorization, promoting private sector involvement in development efforts, and monitoring and evaluating the implementation of regional plans.