PBBM TO BARMM MINISTERS: STRONGER BARMM MEANS A STRONGER PHILIPPINES

February 8, 2024

2–4 minutes

IGRB Co-Chairman Sec. Pangandaman Emphasizes Solidarity, Ends All Talk of Secession

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (PBBM) joined the first meeting of the National Government – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) for 2024 held today at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).

The meeting today, February 8, with BARMM significantly also marks the observance of Lailatul Isra Wal Miraj, the Night Journey and Ascension of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) into heaven at a period in his life when he was facing intense hardships.

*Bagong Pilipinas, Bagong Bangsamoro*

In his speech, he first thanked BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim for his statement of support for the Administration and said, “Bagong Pilipinas is incomplete without a Bagong Bangsamoro rising along and within it.”

He enumerated the many investments that are being made in BARMM and Mindanao, including international investments such as the Non-Project Grant Aid for the acquisition of 6.8 million dollars’ worth of Construction Equipment for Road Network Improvement and Disaster Quick Response Operation in BARMM and the Joint award of Petroleum Service Contracts and Coal Operating Contracts for energy security in BARMM.

*Strong BARMM, Stronger Philippines*

In his speech, PBBM said that this IGRB meeting, the sixth under his administration, “reaffirms our shared commitment not just to peace, but peace with progress”.

“A stronger BARMM means a stronger Mindanao, and a stronger Mindanao means a stronger Philippines,” PBBM emphatically said.

For her part, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said, “All these efforts are directed at making Mindanao a shining example of peace and development in the Philippines. Thus, we will not leave our future vulnerable to threats that will undermine the developments that we have painstakingly pushed.”

Pangandaman added the importance of solidarity. “We must not forget that democracy requires solidarity. It means that as we strive for a better future for our country, we – a nation united despite religious differences – are all in this together. We subscribe to the profound idea of a Bagong Pilipinas, as envisioned by President Bongbong Marcos, where solidarity transcends partisan divides and mobilizes citizens from all walks of life to engage actively in the pursuit of common goals.”

*All 7 Mechanisms Activated*

He commended the IGRB for activating all seven mechanisms needed to complete its transition in less than two years. “We are acting with dispatch not because of the deadlines we have set, but because a people, battered by war for years, should not be denied their destiny to live in peace,” PBBM added.

He commended Co-Chairs Pangandaman and Iqbal for “pursuing our commitments with urgency” in anticipation of the election for BARMM ministers to be held for the first time in May, saying this was fueled by mutual trust between the National Government and BARMM, and inspired by the “shared vision for the Bangsamoro.”

He also commended BARMM for the laws they have enacted, saying this is a “democratic hallmark of finding common ground”. These include the Bangsamoro Administrative Code, the Bangsamoro Civil Service Code, the Bangsamoro Education Code, the Bangsamoro Electoral Code, and the Bangsamoro Local Governance Code.

The IGRB is an intergovernmental body which deals with the relations of the Bangsamoro regional government and the Philippine national government. It is co-chaired by Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman for the National Government and Minister Mohagher Iqbal for BARMM.