11 January 2025
The newly created Negros Island Region (NIR) now has a fully operational Commission on Higher Education Regional Office (CHEDRO) in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental and Talisay City, Negros Occidental.
The establishment of CHED Regional Office XVIII-NIR in Dumaguete City is a key development under Republic Act 12000, which mandates the creation of the NIR.
In 2023, before the passage of the NIR Act, CHED has established a Sub-Regional Office (SRO) in Talisay City, now operating as CHEDRO-NIR SRO, to provide students and HEIs in Negros Occidental easy access to CHED services and programs.
CHED Secretary Popoy De Vera, together with Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo, CHED Commissioners Shirley Agrupis and Ronald Adamat, and CHEDRO-NIR Regional Director Raul C. Alvarez, Jr., yesterday led the inauguration of the new regional office at Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) in Dumaguete City.
“Throughout the years, CHED has been committed to ensuring that we bring CHED services closer to the Filipino people. Before the passage of RA 12000, CHED has already established a satellite office in Negros Island located at Carlos Hilado Memorial State University in Talisay City because we recognize the challenges faced by Negresense, having to travel on the sea, to access our services from our regional office in Iloilo,” De Vera said.
“Last year, when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law the establishment of NIR, his instruction was to ensure that NIR will start fully functioning as an administrative region in 2025. Hence, CHED designated Dr. Raul C. Alvarez, Jr. as the concurrent director of CHEDRO NIR to facilitate the establishment of the regional office so that by the start of the year we can fully operate in NIR,” De Vera said.
“With the presence of CHEDRO-NIR in Dumaguete, our students, and HEIs can now easily access services of the Commission without having to travel to Cebu or Bacolod. On the part of the local government of Dumaguete City, we commit to provide CHED with infrastructural support to ensure that more of our constituents can access higher education services,” Remollo said.
CHED and NORSU signed a usufruct agreement for the use of 800 square meters of land of NORSU as the location of the CHEDRO-NIR Office Building.
The Office is located at the NORSU Bajumpandan Campus, which is the most ideal location because of its accessibility for clients and availability of facilities for the transition.
“This office is not just a building but a vibrant hub of ideas, a center of collaboration, and a sanctuary where we can tackle the challenges of higher education in NIR. NORSU is with CHED in ensuring access to equitable and quality higher education,” NORSU President Marjon E. Yasi said.
The CHEDRO-NIR will ensure the delivery of frontline services, particularly on the implementation of its policies and programs in the HEIs of the newly created administrative region.
CHED NIR oversees eighty-five (85) HEIs across the three provinces of Negros Occidental with fifty-seven (57) HEIs, Negros Oriental with twenty-four (24) HEIs, and Siquijor with four (4) HEIs.
Under the CHED Special Order No. 99 s. 2024, signed on September 9, 2024, Dr. Raul C. Alvarez, Jr, REE, CESO III was designated as the concurrent Director IV of the CHEDRO NIR.
(SIGNED)
J. PROSPERO E. DE VERA III, DPA
Chairman
Commission on Higher Education