Bangsamoro

For other uses, see Bangsamoro (disambiguation).

Bangsamoro
باڠسامورو‎
Autonomous region
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
Bangsamoro Government Center
Bulingan Falls, Lamitan city, Basilan
Panampangan Island, Sapa-sapa, Tawi-Tawi
Polloc Port, Parang, Maguindanao del Norte
Lanao Lake at Marawi City
PC Hill Cotabato City
Left to right, top to bottom: Bangsamoro Government Center; Bulingan Falls, Lamitan, Basilan; Panampangan Island, Sapa-sapa, Tawi-Tawi; Polloc Port, Parang, Maguindanao; Lanao Lake at Marawi City; and PC Hill, Cotabato City
Flag of Bangsamoro
Flag
Official seal of Bangsamoro
Seal
Anthem: Bangsamoro Hymn
Location in the Philippines
Location in the Philippines
OpenStreetMap
Map
Coordinates: 7°13′N 124°15′E / 7.22°N 124.25°E / 7.22; 124.25
CountryPhilippines
Island groupMindanao
Creation plebiscitecJanuary 21, 2019
TurnovercFebruary 26, 2019
Inauguration of governmentMarch 29, 2019
SeatCotabato City (de facto[a])
Parang, Maguindanao del Norte (de jure[b])
Government
 • TypeDevolved regional parliamentary government within a unitary presidential republic
 • BodyBangsamoro Transition Authority
 • Wa'līMuslim Guiamaden
 • Chief MinisterMurad Ebrahim
 • Deputy Chief MinistersAli Solaiman
(Deputy for the Mainland)
Albakil Jikiri
(Deputy for the Islands)
 • Speaker of the ParliamentPangalian Balindong
Population
 (2020 census)d
 • Total
4,944,800
 • Households
832,908
DemonymBangsamoro
Time zoneUTC+08:00 (PST)
Provinces
5
Cities
3
Municipalities106
Barangays2,135 (including 63 in the special geographic area in Cotabato)
Legislative districts6
Parliamentary districts25
Languages
GDP (2023)₱363.69 billion
$6.54 billion[3]
Growth rateIncrease (4.3%)[3]
HDIIncrease 0.613 (Medium)
HDI rank17th in the Philippines (2019)
Websitebangsamoro.gov.ph
^ In various local languages written in Jawi script

^ Two-part plebiscite held in two dates. The first part held on January 21, 2019, was for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, the charter legislation of the region while the second part was to determine the final possible expanded scope of the region's territory. January 21, 2019, is recognized as the "Bangsamoro Foundation Day" as per the Bangsamoro Administrative Code.[4] ^ Effective dissolution of the predecessor autonomous region, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and turnover of governance to the interim body, Bangsamoro Transition Authority.

^ The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) used the scope of the former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao as its geographic reference for the 2020 census when it was released on July 7, 2021. Cotabato City and the Special Geographic Area were then not included its population count for Bangsamoro. Statistics for said localities were included in the PSA's count for Soccsksargen.[5][6] On November 9, 2021, as per PSA Board Resolution No. 13 Series of 2021, Cotabato City and the Special Geographic Area were included in its population count for Bangsamoro and removed from Soccsksargen.[7][8] Figures still include Sulu which was excluded from the region in 2024.

Bangsamoro, officially the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM; Filipino: Rehiyong Awtonomo ng Bangsamoro sa Muslim Mindanao; Arabic: منطقة باڠسامورو ذاتية الحكم في مينداناو المسلمة‎, Minṭaqah Banjisāmūrū dhātiyyah al-ḥukm), is an autonomous region in the Philippines, located in the southwestern portion of the island of Mindanao.

Replacing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the BARMM was formed with the ratification of its basic law, the Bangsamoro Organic Law, following a two-part legally binding plebiscite in Western Mindanao held on January 21 and February 6, 2019. The ratification was confirmed a few days later on January 25 by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).

The establishment of Bangsamoro was the culmination of several years of peace talks between the Philippine government and several autonomist groups; in particular the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which rejected the validity of the ARMM and called for the creation of a region with more powers devolved from the national government. A framework agreement known as the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro was negotiated between the national government and the MILF in 2014. After continued negotiations and debates over certain provisions, the Congress of the Philippines created and ratified a basic law for the region, now referred to as the Bangsamoro Organic Law; the bill was signed into law on July 26, 2018.

Despite questions on the region's constitutionality, as it would have adopted a parliamentary system in an area of a country with a presidential system of government, no judicial ruling was made against the organic law and consequently a two-part plebiscite was held: one by ARMM citizens determining whether to dissolve the ARMM and immediately replace it with the Bangsamoro and, following the approval on the first part,[9][10][11] a second part taken by neighboring municipalities and barangays in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Cotabato regarding their cession to the Bangsamoro region.[12][13][14][15] As a result of the second part of the plebiscite, 63 barangays of Cotabato province were handed over to the Bangsamoro government, adding to the autonomous region's territory.[16][12]

The Bangsamoro took the place of the ARMM as the only Muslim-majority autonomous region in the Philippines.[17] Currently in transition until 2025, the Bangsamoro government has been considered a testing ground for the wider debate on constitutional reform and federalism in the Philippines.[citation needed]

On September 9, 2024, the Supreme Court of the Philippines, voting unanimously, mostly upheld the constitutionality of the Bangsamoro Organic Law but declared the province of Sulu to not be part of the autonomous region because of its simple majority vote against its inclusion therein during the 2019 Bangsamoro autonomy plebiscite.[18]

  1. ^ "Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 13" (PDF). Bangsamoro Parliament. Retrieved February 24, 2021. The seat of the Bangsamoro Government shall be in Cotabato City, unless otherwise provided by the Bangsamoro Parliament in a subsequent law.[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ "Bangsamoro Autonomy Act. 37" (PDF). Bangsamoro Parliament. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "2021 to 2023 Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP)". openstat.psa.gov.ph. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  4. ^ Ul Khaliq, Riyaz (January 18, 2021). "Philippines: Bangsamoro begins anniversary celebrations". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved February 24, 2021. Last year, the BARMM passed the Bangsamoro Administrative Code, which marks January 21 as the Bangsamoro Foundation Day and declared it a non-working holiday.
  5. ^ "BARMM – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao". Census of Population and Housing (2020). PSA.
  6. ^ "Region XII (Soccsksargen)". Census of Population and Housing (2020). PSA.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Philippine Statistics was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Resolution No. 13 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Depasupil, William; TMT; Reyes, Dempsey (January 23, 2019). "'Yes' vote prevails in 4 of 5 provinces". The Manila Times. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  10. ^ Galvez, Daphne (January 22, 2019). "Zubiri: Overwhelming 'yes' vote for BOL shows Mindanao shedding its history of conflict". Inquirer.net. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  11. ^ Esguerra, Christian V. (January 25, 2019). "New era dawns for Bangsamoro as stronger autonomy law ratified". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  12. ^ a b Sarmiento, Bong S. (February 7, 2019). "21 of 67 villages in North Cotabato join BARMM". newsinfo.inquirer.net.
  13. ^ Suson, Divina (February 7, 2019). "'No' wins in 13 Lanao del Norte towns; 'Yes' wins in only 9 towns". newsinfo.inquirer.net.
  14. ^ Jennings, Ralph (July 27, 2018). "Historic Autonomy Deal for Philippine Muslims Takes Aim at 50 Years of Strife". Voice of America. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  15. ^ Esguerra, Anthony Q. (July 27, 2018). "EU expresses support for Bangsamoro Organic Law". Inquirer.net. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  16. ^ Fonbuena, Carmela (February 8, 2019). "63 out of 67 barangays in Cotabato to join Bangsamoro region". Rappler.
  17. ^ Kapahi, Anushka D.; Tañada, Gabrielle (2018). "The Bangsamoro Identity Struggle and the Bangsamoro Basic Law as the Path to Peace". Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses. 10 (7): 1–7. JSTOR 26458484.
  18. ^ "SC Upholds Validity of Bangsamoro Organic Law; Declares Sulu not Part of Bangsamoro Region". Supreme Court of the Philippines. September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.


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