The Negros Oriental government will be able to save yearly more than P8 million in payment of wages and other benefits of the Negros Oriental Detention and Rehabilitation Center personnel after the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology takes over their management from the province.

BJMP Region 7 officials, led by regional director Romeo Salazar and Gov. Roel Degamo agreed in a meeting Tuesday to finalize in a memorandum of agreement expected to be signed in July.

More meetings will be held between the provincial attorney and the BJMP’s legal officers, to finalize the agreement so that in August, the provincial government can begin drafting its 2012 budget less the allocation for services of NODRC personnel, Degamo said yesterday.

Degamo had earlier announced that he has asked Secretary Jesse Robredo of the Department of Interior and Local Government to absorb the provincial jail personnel who are currently receiving wages and other benefits from the Negros Oriental government.

Under the proposed agreement, the governor will still be the official jailer, and the NODRC still a provincial-government owned facility, Degamo said.

He assured that NODRC personnel will not lose their jobs under the agreement as he has proposed that qualified provincial jail employees be absorbed by the BJMP.

The province allocates a yearly budget of more than P16 million for personal services and operating expenses, Daisy Vamenta, Human Resource Management Officer of Negros Oriental, said.

Of this, more than P8 million goes to wages, benefits, transportation costs and other expenditures for NODRC employees.

There are 42 regular positions assigned to the NODRC, although some have not been filled up, Vamenta said.*JFP