Bangsamoro Organic Law remains on track: OPAPP

MANILA — The implementation of Republic Act 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) and the ongoing transition of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) remains on track amidst the challenges being faced by the national and Bangsamoro governments.

“The mandate of the new Bangsamoro government is that we shall always be cooperative and collaborative with all endeavors to pursue good governance and ultimately development,” said lawyer Ali Pangalian Balindong, speaker of the BARMM Parliament during Tuesday’s hearing called for by the Senate Committee on Local Government.

Chaired by Senator Francis N. Tolentino, the committee hearing aimed to raise key issues regarding the BOL’S implementation and solicit recommendations from stakeholders on how to best address them.

Tolentino emphasized that the purpose of the hearing was to ensure that BARMM gets all the resources it needs as it goes through the crucial transition phase, saying “the purpose of this committee hearing is really for the (Senate) to be of assistance in so far as making sure that the baby steps are correct and in the right direction.”

Tolentino underscored Senate’s commitment to help uplift the lives of the Bangsamoro people, and unleash the full economic potential of the region.

“We are assisting in the baby steps but we would want to ensure that these would be translated into successful adult strides because the success of BARMM is the success of the Philippines,” he said.

Naguib G. Sinarimbo, BARMM’S Minister of the Interior and Local Government, who provided updates on the status of the BOL and BARMM during the hearing, emphasized that “the transition in the Bangsamoro is a complex one.”

“It is not just a transition from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to BARMM but a transition of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to governance,” he said.

“What is important to remember is we are also building institutions and strengthening the institutions,” Sinarimbo pointed out.

At the present, the parliamentary-form BARMM is being run majority by the leadership of the MILF as part of its peace agreement with the government signed in 2014.

Responding to queries on the status of the BOL’S implementation, Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. highlighted the efforts being undertaken by the national and Bangsamoro sides to further strengthen relations between both two parties.

“There may be challenges along the way but it’s natural as we transform the region. What I am seeing here is the dedication and commitment of local stakeholders, including the foreign donor community, to create the conditions wherein the Bangsamoro people can build a better and brighter future,” Galvez said at the sidelines of the hearing.

“One thing is very clear in this hearing and that is, the entire process is still on track despite the challenges. It remains true to the spirit of the peace agreement that the government and