Marcos: BARMM now model of unity, progress
COTABATO CITY—The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) celebrated its seventh founding anniversary on Wednesday poised to finally take the path toward its first parliamentary elections.
In his rundown of the seven-year journey of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the interim government of the BARMM, Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua recounted their struggle to build effective institutions of autonomy, and highlighted its readiness for elections with a new districting law at hand.
Macacua on Tuesday signed Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 86 which provided for the creation of 32 parliamentary districts in the region, setting off next steps for the holding of the regional elections.
“Seven years ago, [the] BARMM was not just proclaimed
—it was entrusted to us,” Macacua said, adding that this year’s celebration is “dedicated to the men and women who suffered, even shed blood and offered lives, for us to enjoy the autonomy we are enjoying today.”
“Let us pause to remember our brethren who were extracted from their homes due to armed conflict, displaced but continued to fight to preserve our dignity, culture and justice for the Bangsamoro,” Macacua added.
Wednesday’s celebration was graced by President Marcos who highlighted the upcoming BARMM elections as a pivotal moment for the region and a “clear opportunity” for Bangsamoro citizens to express their voices and aspirations freely.
“Let us build a government rooted in accountability, a system strengthened by participation,” the President said.
The BARMM was established in February 2019, following the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) in a two-step plebiscite first done on Jan. 21, 2019. The Commission on Elections declared the BOL ratified on Jan. 25, 2019.
‘Mistakes of the past’
The BTA was inaugurated on March 29, 2019, with 76 of 80 appointed members having taken their oath. Its first chief minister was Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim, chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
“You are creating a government from a blank sheet of paper. You do not need to repeat the mistakes of the past,” Mr. Marcos said, calling on local leaders to create a governance system that is efficient, transparent, and business-friendly.
With nearly 4.5 million residents, the BARMM has the potential to lead the nation in sustainable development, said the President. “I am very excited for the people of the Bangsamoro, because I know that the future will be bright for them,” he added.
The BARMM anniversary, Mr. Marcos said, “marks an important chapter in our nation’s history, not just the history of Muslim Mindanao, but of the entire Philippines, and it is a landmark in our fight to achieve genuine progress and unity.”
The BOL gave the autonomous region more governance powers, in keeping with the Bangsamoro people’s aspiration for self-governance.
The President emphasized the critical role of the BARMM in the country’s long-term peacebuilding efforts, calling it a “proof that sacrifice, dialogue, and unity are the keys to lasting peace.”
“Together, let us build a new nation, one that is marked by peace, unity, and a belief in a brighter future,” he said.
Mr. Marcos urged regional and local leaders in the BARMM to work in continuing to expand livelihood and economic opportunities for the people. “Let us raise the standard of living for every family in the region,” he said, reiterating the national government’s commitment to assisting the Bangsamoro people every step of the way.
He noted the “change in the sentiment of the people” who are now imbibing the “hope that the future is going to be bright.”
“And that I think could be one of the great achievements of what we are doing, especially in forming the Bangsamoro government,” he stressed.
Election schedule
The BARMM recorded the second-highest poverty incidence among the country’s 18 regions, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. In 2023, 23.5 percent of families in the region were living and earning below the poverty threshold—or the minimum level of income required to meet basic needs—of P12,884 a month.
On Wednesday, Lanao del Sur Representatives Zia Alonto Adiong and Yasser Balindong filed House Bill No. 7238 that sets the first parliamentary elections in the BARMM on Sept. 28 this year.
Adiong said the resetting would give election officials adequate time to prepare, including the redrawing of precincts based on the new parliamentary districts, and would help protect the gains of the Bangsamoro peace process.
“The timely enactment of the districting law provides the legal foundation for fair representation and for elections that comply with the Constitution, the Bangsamoro Organic Law and prevailing jurisprudence,” Adiong said. —WITH A REPORT FROM KRIXIA SUBINGSUBING
