WITH the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) set to hold its first parliamentary elections next month, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) reaffirmed its full support for the peace process and ongoing institution-building in the region.
Speaking at the 23rd Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) meeting on Friday, MILF leader Mohagher Iqbal said the group’s commitment to peace and development would remain regardless of the outcome of the elections.
“As we move closer to the first regular parliamentary elections in BARMM, the IGRB has a crucial role to play in ensuring that national and regional agencies work in tandem on matters such as logistics, security, and resource coordination,” Iqbal said.
National government co-chair and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, for her part, assured continued support for BARMM, citing a ₱104.57-billion allocation for the region in the proposed 2026 national budget. The funding includes increased block grants and resources for communities affected by conflict.
“We, in the IGRB, will sustain our momentum and continue working together to fulfil the aspirations of the people of BARMM and the entire nation, including and most especially the next generations,” Pangandaman said.
The meeting also marked a milestone with the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos and the Bangsamoro Pilgrimage Authority. The deal gives the regional authority a direct role in administering the annual Hajj for BARMM pilgrims, a move seen as both an administrative reform and a recognition of the region’s autonomy.
