BARMM cites milestone

COTABATO CITY – BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim highlighted the significant accomplishments of the autonomous government in the year following the extended transition period of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA).

A photo from the Bangsamoro Speaker's Office shows BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim and BTA Speaker and lawyer Panglian Balindong at the opening of the Second Regular Session.

During the opening of the 37th Session of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority's Second Regular Session, Ebrahim said among these milestones were the passage of key legislative measures such as the Bangsamoro Electoral Code and the Bangsamoro Science High School. 

He emphasized the importance of cooperation and coordination among all stakeholders in ensuring the success of the remaining two years of the transition period. 

Appeal 

Ebrahim also appealed to lawmakers for the immediate enactment of the Bangsamoro Local Governance Code and the creation of municipalities in the BARMM Special Geographic Area (SGA) to further enhance local governance and delivery of basic services, among others. 

Ebrahim said the bill creating the municipalities in SGA is important in filling the gaps that were observed as a result of the 2019 plebiscite for the inclusion of some North Cotabato villages to the Bangsamoro region.

Special Geographic Areas

“While at the onset, the Bangsamoro Government included these barangays (villages) in the implementation of its various programs and projects, there are gaps in governance that can only be addressed through the creation of municipalities from the special geographic areas,” he said.

Ebrahim recalled that last December, the Government of the Day filed the bills that will create the eight municipalities of Pahamudin, Kadayangan, Kabalukan, Northern Kabacan, Kapalawan, Malmar, Tugunan, and Ligawasan.

He said in the proposed bills, the 63 SGA villages in the towns of Pikit, Midsayap, Aleosan, Pigcawayan, Kabacan, and Carmen in North Cotabato will be separated from their mother municipalities and constituted into a distinct and independent municipalities.

“These areas are not only special because of their location but also because, along with Cotabato City, these are the new or expanded areas of the BARMM, granted that we take the territory of the ARMM as our baseline. Hence, it is only fitting that we enact these bills as soon as possible,” he said.

On the other hand, the enactment of the Bangsamoro Local Governance Code will shed light on the relationships between the regional government and its local governments, according to Ebrahim. “It will also set governance structures, processes, and systems that will help shape more responsive and empowering local government units for its respective constituents,” he said.

The Government of the Day filed the Bangsamoro Local Governance Code on September 22 last year and once passed, it shall become the 5th priority legislation the BTA has enacted.

“Mr. Speaker (Atty. Pangalian Balindong), my dear colleagues, the enactment of these important legislations will almost complete the laws and governance structures necessary for the conduct of a peaceful and credible first parliamentary elections in 2025, In shaa Allah),” Ebrahim said.

“The faster we enact these priority legislations, the better it is for our people as it would give ample time for understanding the nuances and implications of these laws in their everyday lives,” he added. (Johanie Mae Kusain, (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)