Bangsamoro
Bangsamoro, officially the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM; Filipino: Rehiyong Awtonomo ng Bangsamoro sa Muslim Mindanao; Arabic: منطقة بانجسامورو ذاتية الحكم, Minṭaqah Banjisāmūrū dhātiyyah al-ḥukm; Maguindanaon: Dairat nu Bangsamoro sa Muslim Mindanao a pegkamalan i ginawa) is an autonomous region in the Philippines, located in the southwestern portion of the island of Mindanao.
Bangsamoro
باڠسامورو | |
|---|---|
| Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao | |
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 | |
| Anthem: Bangsamoro Hymn | |
Location in the Philippines | |
OpenStreetMap | |
| Coordinates: 7°13′N 124°15′E | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Island group | Mindanao |
| Creation plebiscitec | January 21, 2019 |
| Turnoverc | February 26, 2019 |
| Inauguration of government | March 29, 2019 |
| Seat | Cotabato City (de facto) Parang, Maguindanao del Norte (de jure) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Devolved regional parliamentary government within a unitary presidential republic |
| • Body | Bangsamoro Transition Authority |
| • Acting Wa'lī | Said Salendab |
| • Chief Minister | Murad Ebrahim |
| • Deputy Chief Ministers | Ali Solaiman (Deputy for the Mainland) Albakil Jikiri (Deputy for the Islands) |
| • Speaker of the Parliament | Pangalian Balindong |
| Population (2020 census)d | |
| • Total | 4,944,800 |
| • Households | 832,908 |
| Demonym | Bangsamoro |
| Time zone | UTC+08:00 (PST) |
| Provinces | |
| Cities | |
| Municipalities | 116 |
| Barangays | 2,590 (including 63 in the special geographic area in Cotabato) |
| Legislative districts | 8 |
| Languages | |
| GDP (2021) | ₱284 billion $5 billion |
| Growth rate | (7.5%) |
| HDI | 0.646 (Medium) |
| HDI rank | 17th in the Philippines (2019) |
| Website | bangsamoro |
| ^ 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. ^ 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. 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. | |
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 victory of the yes vote on the first part, and the second part taken by neighboring municipalities and barangays in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Cotabato regarding their cession to the Bangsamoro region. 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.
The Bangsamoro took the place of the ARMM as the only Muslim-majority autonomous region in the Philippines. 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.