SAYING "a stronger Mindanao means a stronger Philippines," President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday called on the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) not to allow "forces outside of the democratic process to deviate our dreams and our aspirations." The President's statement came amid the call of his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, for Mindanao to secede from the rest of the Philippines and become an independent state.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. attends the 17th Meeting of the National Government-Bangsamoro Government Intergovernmental Relations Body at the Philippine International Convention Center. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

In his speech at the 17th Meeting of the National Government-Bangsamoro Government Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, the President reiterated his administration's support to the Bangsamoro peace process.

He said that "Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines) is incomplete without a Bangsamoro rising along and within it." "A stronger BARMM means a stronger Mindanao. A stronger Mindanao means a stronger Philippines, bringing us closer to achieving our agendas," Marcos said.

"To us, there is only one true peace when the bloody tally of war is replaced with the scoreboard of development. And that scoreboard shows that peace has won and the war is over," he added.

The President also urged BARMM leaders not to let adversarial anti-democratic elements ruin the region's first parliament elections.

"Let us show the world that it is peaceful and it is credible. On this, let me be blunt, that, perhaps, we must remind ourselves that we are now operating under different rules and that we cannot allow forces outside of the democratic process to deviate our dreams and our aspirations from a democratic process," Marcos said. "Let us not allow even one single voter to be disenfranchised by violence, intimidation, or bribery. That is the job we have in front of us."

The President enumerated BARMM's successes, such as the passage of the Bangsamoro Administrative Code, the Bangsamoro Civil Service Code, the Bangsamoro Education Code, the Bangsamoro Electoral Code and the Bangsamoro Local Governance Code. "Another feather in your cap is the success of the Bangsamoro Board of Investments in generating P3.3 billion worth of investments in the last three months of 2023, which will employ 1,927 workers," he said.

In November last year, Marcos said the government signed and exchanged Diplomatic Notes with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan on the Non-Project Grant Aid for the acquisition of $6.8 million worth of equipment for road improvement and Disaster Quick Response Operation in BARMM.

In July last year, he said the guidelines on the joint award of Petroleum Service Contracts and Coal Operating Contracts in BARMM was also signed.

"Peace to our people is found in jobs created, schools opened, farms irrigated, new hospitals opened, roads constructed, businesses launched," he added.

Meanwhile, Marcos said the meeting of the national government and Bangsamoro government IGRB reaffirms "our shared commitment not just to peace, but to peace with progress." The IGRB, established in 2019 under the Bangsamoro Organic Law, addresses intergovernmental conflicts, fiscal policy, and resource allocation to support BARMM's governance and development.

It aims to coordinate and resolve intergovernmental issues between the national government and BARMM through regular consultation and negotiation.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, co-chairman of the IGRB, thanked Marcos for his unwavering support for BARMM's development agenda.

"Since Day One, you have given the IGRB your full support and unrelenting commitment towards peace process and achieving inclusive economic growth for BARMM," Pangandaman said.

"As a proud Muslim and member of this esteemed body, I can honestly and proudly say that the efforts in developing BARMM under 'Bagong Pilipinas' are bearing fruit. We have come a long way from activating all the seven mechanisms of the IGRB, and less than a year, to continuing efforts to establish regional offices in BARMM," she added.

The Budget chief cited the signing of a memorandum of understanding on an Islamic insurance between the BARMM's Ministry of Finance and the Department of Budget and Management, and the Insurance Commission.

Pangandaman said all these efforts "are directed at making Mindanao a shiny example of peace and development in the Philippines."

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