BARMM racing to pass 2027 regional budget

COTABATO CITY—Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua directed all new Cabinet members and heads of offices on Monday to speed up their proposed budget allocations as the Bangsamoro Parliament laid down its priority legislative agenda for its first 100 days in office.

On top of the priorities is the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Expenditure Program for Fiscal Year 2027 before the end of the year, otherwise, the region will have a reenacted budget in the coming year. Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (BARMM’s) 2026 budget is P114 billion.

The BARMM Cabinet and Parliament have about 52 days before the year ends, including nonworking holidays, to pass the proposed budget.

Minister Ubaida Pacasem of the Ministry of Finance, and Budget and Management clarified that ministries could modify their proposed programs and activities, provided these remained within their respective budget ceilings.

Cabinet members who recently assumed office requested sufficient time to review the proposals prepared by their predecessors, guided by the timeline for passing the new regional budget.

Also included as a priority agenda within the first 100 days of the Macacua administration is creating a technical working group (TWG) to “right-size” the BARMM bureaucracy and establishing offices for senior advisers on parliamentary affairs and on religious and moral governance.

The agenda also includes creating two special offices to support transitioning Moro National Liberation Front combatants and the rehabilitation and development of their communities, creating a TWG to develop the legislation for the charter of the Bangsamoro Economic Zone Authority, and establishing a Bangsamoro State University System incorporating tertiary institutions transferred to the regional government.

Also on the priority list are convening the Council of Leaders and reactivating the Intergovernmental Relations Body to strengthen coordination between the Bangsamoro and national governments.

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Integrity

During its first cabinet meeting, Macacua called on the newly appointed ministers and heads of offices to treat their positions as a responsibility to the Bangsamoro people, emphasizing integrity and accountability in carrying out the ruling coalition party’s development agenda.

“Our appointments are not merely positions of authority and privilege. They are, above all, an ‘amanah’, a sacred trust carried with the highest expectation of integrity, accountability, and genuine service to the Bangsamoro people,” Macacua said.

He noted that the next five years would be crucial for setting the direction of the first regular Bangsamoro government and strengthening the credibility of institutions built throughout the seven-year transition period that began in 2019.

“We have inherited both the gains and lessons of the past seven years. It is now our responsibility to build upon these foundations with greater resolve, discipline, and accountability,” Macacua added.