Duterte gov’t promises continued BARMM backing
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 Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his speech during the anniversary of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao held at the MalacaΓ±ang Palace on January 21, 2021. ROBINSON NIΓAL/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
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 MalacaΓ±ang.
“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
