North Cotabato promises support for 63 villages now in BARMM

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — The North Cotabato provincial government assured Friday it will continue supporting local peace programs for 63 barangays in the province that joined the Bangsamoro region Tuesday.

Residents of the 63 barangays voted for their inclusion into the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao during the 2019 plebiscite for the ratification of BARMM's charter, the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año and lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo, who is BARMM's local government minister, together officiated the Bangsamoro region's symbolic assumption of administration of the 63 North Cotabato barangays and of Cotabato City on Tuesday afternoon.

North Cotabato Gov. Nancy Catamco said Thursday the province will continue helping push forward BARMM’s peace and development programs.

"While these barangays are under BARMM now, we shall not close to the residents there the doors to our provincial government. We can cooperate with the BARMM government in providing residents there with socio-economic empowerment," Catamco said.

"The people have spoken," Año said Tuesday, referring to the result of the constitutional exercise that led to the approval of Republic Act 11054.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and representatives from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process were also present at the turnover rite.

The BOL is a product of 22 years of peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, whose chairman, Ahod Ebrahim, is BARMM's appointed chief minister.

The venue of Tuesday’s turnover ceremony, the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex inside the 32-hectare BARMM compound, is not too distant from the People’s Palace, where the office of Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi is located.

Cotabato City

The Cotabato City mayor has contested before the Supreme Court the result of last year’s plebiscite that placed Cotabato City, originally a component city of Region 12, in the Bangsamoro region.

In a message, Sinarimbo said BARMM's Ministry of the Interior and Local Government has a team to manage the office of the DILG in Cotabato City.

"We welcome Cotabato City and these 63 barangays in North Cotabato to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao," Sinarimbo said Tuesday.

BARMM Chief Minister Ebrahim said the Bangsamoro regional government is committed to fostering peace and development in the newly-created region.

"No constituent shall be left behind," Ebrahim said.

Besides Cotabato City and the 63 barangays in different North Cotabato towns, the Bangsamoro region also covers the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Marawi and Lamitan.