The government will remain committed in supporting the development of Bangsamoro region particularly as the nation grapples with the ill effects of the coronavirus pandemic, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte said on Thursday.
President Duterte joined the Bangsamoro people in celebrating the second anniversary of the ratification of the Organic Law establishing the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“Be assured that this administration will remain determined in its commitment to support self-determination, uphold human rights, and advance social welfare in the Bangsamoro region,” President Duterte said in a speech in Malacañang.
“Today, like the rest of the nation, the BARMM is faced with many daunting challenges aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is why I have given marching orders to all relevant government agencies to give full support to the BARMM through continued assistance in the region.”
The President said his government remains as enthusiastic as ever for what the future holds for the region.
Rallying support from the country’s Muslim population, he asked for continued collaboration to find a common ground in achieving the shared aspirations for economic self-sufficiency, genuine development and lasting peace in Mindanao.
The chief executive also expressed elation noting that in the past two years, both the government and BARMM have strengthened their collaboration, which he said, is a significant step in achieving meaningful and lasting peace in the south.
He thanked Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim for showing exemplary leadership and for his efforts in ensuring that BARMM achieves meaningful self-governance within the framework of the country’s Constitution and the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
At the same time, President Duterte congratulated the Intergovernmental Relations Body under the leadership of BARMM Minister of Basic, Higher and Technical Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III for instituting much needed reforms and mechanisms aimed at fostering growth in the BARMM.
These accomplishments include the participation of the BARMM in the national planning process; the transfer of the management of existing nature reserves and protected areas from the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to the BARMM; and the creation of the Bangsamoro Electoral Office and the Regional Offices of several national government agencies.
He also recognized the assistance given to BARMM by the Department of Finance (DOF), the Civil Service Commission (CSC), the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) as well as other national government agencies. PND