In a resolution, the RDC specifically urged department secretaries and heads of various national line bureaus and agencies to work for the immediate transfer of all their regional operations, offices and personnel to Koronadal from their current base in Cotabato City.
Sarangani Gov. Miguel Rene Dominguez, RDC chair, said the move is in compliance with the June 2009 deadline earlier set by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on New Government Centers mandating all regional line agencies to implement their full transfer to the designated new regional center and seats.
He said such directive covers all regional departments, bureaus and offices that have earlier opted to establish satellite offices in Koronadal City due to high funding requirement of a full transfer.
“It should be a full transfer of the regional offices. The satellite offices are no longer considered,” he said.
Region 12’s regional seat and center was transferred to Koronadal City from Cotabato City based on a new regional configuration mandated by Executive Order (EO) 304 issued on March 30, 2004 by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The reorganized region covers the provinces of South Cotabato, Sarangani, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Cotabato, General Santos, Kidapawan, Koronadal and Tacurong.
According to records from the Koronadal City Planning and Development Office, only 31 of the 65 regional departments, bureaus and offices have fully transferred in the area.
Two of the regional departments, the Environment and Natural Resources and the Budget and Management, have already established their offices on their acquired sites or lots.
At least 19 of these regional offices have been leasing or renting private buildings and office spaces in various parts of the city.
The Department of Education and the Bureau of Internal Revenue have already started the construction of their new regional offices.
The city government of Koronadal has earlier created a task force to help identify prospective regional center sites in the city and facilitate the immediate transfer of the regional offices.
Eufrosino Inamarga, Koronadal city treasurer, said in a radio interview that they had offered a build-operate-transfer or BOT scheme to regional offices that have signified to transfer but were hampered by lack of funds.
Under the scheme, he said government financial institutions or financiers from the private sector may finance the construction of the offices or buildings and the regional offices will have the option to event
ually own them through long-term lease or rental contracts.
“Most of the regional offices have long signified their intention to transfer here but they were hounded by budgetary constraints. We’ve been offering our help to facilitate their transfer but only a few have so far accepted our offer,” he added. (Allen V. Estabillo / MindaNews)