Key water experts in the country are looking at making Negros Oriental as “Center of Excellence for Water” in the Philippines for its various approaches to successful water conservation and management initiatives.

President Benigno Aquino III and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas have been invited to Negros Oriental to grace the Buglasan Festival in October, Governor Roel Degamo said yesterday.

Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo received at the Capitol yesterday four former members of the New People’s Army who voluntarily surrendered to the Philippine Army.

Police in Negros Oriental are keeping a close eye on the possible arrival of suspected armed men from nearby Mindanao after receiving intelligence reports that newly-hired associates of a notorious robbery/hold-up gang from Ozamis City were headed towards Region 7.

Reg’l offices for 2 provinces named The division of the Negros Island Region transitional regional offices was completed yesterday with Negros Occidental getting agriculture and land, peace and order/security and governance clusters, and Negros Oriental getting the human development, industry and labor and infrastructure clusters.

The clusters of human development, industry and labor, and infrastructure went to Negros Oriental, in the division of the Negros Island Region transitional regional offices, that was agreed on at the first meeting of the NIR Technical Working Group in Manila yesterday.

Governor Roel Degamo has shunned an order designating a new officer in charge of the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office, saying the usual selection process has been bypassed.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Oriental allotted more than P28 million for the Productivity Enhancement Incentive of Capitol employees as reward for exceeding agency financial and operational performance targets.

Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo said he will not allow politicians to influence the designation of a police provincial commander in the province.

Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas yesterday turned over the copy of the executive order creating the Negros Island Region (NIR) signed by President Aquino to Gov. Roel Degamo at the Negros Oriental Convention Center.