COTABATO CITY, Philippines โ Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua and the governors of the five provinces in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), along with a lawmaker from Maguindanao del Sur, agreed to strengthen cooperation in advancing peace and sustainable development across the autonomous region.
The officials met Monday in Cotabato City, where they committed to expanding collaboration on peacebuilding and community empowerment programs throughout BARMM.
Present at the meeting were Basilan Gov. Mujiv Hataman, Tawi-Tawi Gov. Ysmael Sali, Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr., Maguindanao del Norte Gov. Tucao Mastura, Maguindanao del Sur Gov. Ali Midtimbang and Maguindanao del Sur Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu. Also attending was Bangsamoro Minister of the Interior and Local Government Jordan Bayam.
The dialogue focused on strengthening governance partnerships among the Bangsamoro government, provincial administrations and congressional representatives to promote stability and improve public services in the region.
Hataman, who served as regional governor of the former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao before it was replaced by BARMM in 2019 under the peace agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said close coordination among regional and local leaders is essential to sustaining peace.
He said cooperation among the Bangsamoro government, the 80-member Bangsamoro Parliament, local government units, provincial governors and congressional representatives is vital in advancing peace and sustainable development for Muslim, Christian and Indigenous communities throughout BARMM.
Mangudadatu, a former three-term governor of the then-undivided Maguindanao province, has long supported the government’s peace process in Mindanao, including separate peace agreements with the MILF and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
Adiong has also been active in promoting cultural and religious solidarity among Muslim, Christian and non-Moro Indigenous communities in Lanao del Sur and has supported joint peacebuilding initiatives involving the national government, the MILF and the MNLF.
Bayam, who assumed office as Bangsamoro local government minister only a few months ago, has been working with Macacua to expand the regional government’s peacebuilding initiatives across BARMM.
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