BANGSAMORO NEWS UPDATES

MANILA – A senator stressed on Wednesday the importance of collaboration in maintaining the inclusivity, sustainability, and progress of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Senate Pro Tempore Loren Legarda made the call as BARMM celebrates its 5th Founding Anniversary from Jan. 21 to 26.

"Let us rededicate ourselves. Let us work together as Bangsamoro and Filipinos, leaders, and citizens," she said.

“Bangsamoro'y tagumpay. Bunga ng pawis, dugo, at buhay. Kapayapaan, katarungan, Ay atin nang nakamtan. Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah, Pagpalain, Bangsamoro."
 
These powerful lines from the Bangsamoro Hymn summarize the triumph of the peace process after decades of struggle for self-determination. On January 21, 2019, five years ago, precisely 1,826 days, the Bangsamoro Organic Law was formally ratified.
 
This marked a new and hopeful chapter in the long journey toward achieving the ever-elusive peace in the southern part of the Philippines.
 

Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim struck the gong, symbolizing the commencement of the weeklong celebration of the 5th Bangsamoro founding anniversary on Sunday, January 21, 2024 at the Office of the Chief Minister (OCM) Grounds, Bangsamoro Government Center in Cotabato City.

He urged the Bangsamoro people to unite, emphasizing the importance of collectively moving forward with enthusiasm and resolve. He highlighted the need for fostering mutual understanding, peaceful co-existence, and envisioning a shared future in the Bangsamoro.

COTABATO CITY — The Bangsamoro Government and Commission on Election (COMELEC) are taking a decisive step in fostering inclusive elections, following the launch of the comprehensive Bangsamoro Electoral Code (BEC) Handbook by the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) on Jan. 18, in this city.
 
The BEC handbook has been produced to serve as a guide and reference to equip election officials, voters, and concerned stakeholders to conduct inclusive and efficient elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
 

COTABATO CITY - Up to 22 families here with children employed as laborers received an initial cash assistance as a startup fund for small entrepreneurial projects that can generate extra income and prevent forced employment of underage family members.

The grant of P15,000 cash is part of the Bangsamoro Child Labor Sagip Program of the Ministry of Labor and Employment-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, drawn from its budget from the regional coffer.

COTABATO CITY - The Committees on Social Services and Development (CSSD) and Finance, Budget, and Management (CFBM) jointly approved BTA Bill No. 44 during a meeting on Tuesday, January 16.

The bill seeks to establish the Office of the Bangsamoro Mujahideen Under Special Circumstance (OBMUSC), which will be responsible for providing financial assistance to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Mujahideen who are senior citizens and permanently disabled.

PARANG, Maguindanao del Norte — The province of Maguindanao del Norte will have four parliamentary districts pending the passage of Parliament Bill No. 267, which will provide for fair representation in the 80-seat Bangsamoro Parliament.
 
The proposal is part of PB No. 267, which aims to create 32 single-member districts in the BARMM, ensuring an equitable distribution of parliamentary seats to accommodate the diverse population in the region.
 

COTABATO CITY ─ In the first of a series of public consultations for Parliament Bill No. 267, Bangsamoro Parliament Floor Leader and Committee on Rules Chair Atty. Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba emphasized the importance of creating parliamentary districts for the region’s 2025 elections.

Atty. Dumama-Alba stressed that the absence of established parliamentary districts would pose significant challenges to the electoral process in the region.

COTABATO CITY — Bangsamoro lawmakers are championing two hospital bills aimed at improving healthcare services in the provinces of Sulu and Maguindanao del Norte.

The first of these bills, BTA Bill No. 264, or the Siasi District Hospital Standardization Act of 2023, proposes to standardize the bed capacity of the Siasi District Hospital (SDH) in Sulu, elevating it from 25 to 50 beds.

The proposed increase aims to address the healthcare needs of the growing population in the municipality of Siasi, currently standing at approximately 80,000.

MANILA - President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos has ordered the preventive suspension of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos chair Guiling Mamondiong on allegations of anomalies in the Hajj pilgrimage last year.

In a statement, NCMF said Commissioner Yusoph Janang Mando assumed as officer-in-charge while Mamondiong is suspended for three months.

Earlier, Sulu Vice Gov. Toto Tan, on behalf of Muslim pilgrims, complained about dismal services by NCMF during the July 2023 hajj.