Review of law forming new region pressed

Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate called on Congress to review the “grave impact” of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of a law establishing the provinces in southwestern Tagalog as the Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) region.

Zarate expressed concern over the transfer of regional government offices (RGOs) to Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, as the government hub of the new region, as provided for by Republic Act 10879, which lapsed into law on July 17, 2016.

He said the IRR No. 30, which was released by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in coordination with Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), states that all RGOs for Mimaropa that are mostly based in Metro Manila shall transfer their offices to Calapan within 18 months following the release of the IRR.

“No public consultations were held in the provinces comprising the Mimaropa region, especially for the stakeholders of the affected regional offices,” he said.

Zarate filed House Resolution 2346 urging the House Committee on Government Reorganization to look into IRR No. 30.

He said the employees of the affected RGOs claimed that the transfer to Calapan will only lead to ineffective public service and will not benefit the people of the new region.

The transportation cost alone will be very expensive for most of the people from other provinces of Mimaropa, he said.

“The transfer of all RGOs for Mimaropa will be very expensive, too, for the national government, especially in this time of budget deficit spending and economic slowdown.

More than R1 billion will be spent by the government in the transfer, Zarate added.

He said government workers based in Metro Manila might be forced to quit their jobs because of the transfer.

“It is imperative that Congress, the House of Representatives in particular, should take these concerns seriously, and in the exercise of its oversight function, find solutions or alternatives that are equitable and acceptable to all stakeholders, the government employees and residents,” he said in filing House Resolution 2346.