We are pleased to share with you our April occasional paper entitled, “Charting the Future of the Bangsamoro within the Philippine Nation-State: Governance Challenges, Issues and Recommendations” written by Dr, Rizal Buendia, a non-resident Fellow of Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute and independent consultant and researcher in Southeast Asian Politics and International Development, Wales, UK. The paper discusses the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the “Moro issue” in the Philippines.

Earlier this year, the RA 11054, otherwise known as the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), was ratified in two plebiscites in select areas. It is the result of peace efforts and meetings between the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which spanned two administrations. BARMM aims to address issues of underdevelopment, security, and ethnic conflict that has overwhelming riddled the region for nearly fifty decades. However, the challenge only continues as the new region must deliver its promises amidst a corrupt political environment and insufficient human capital capabilities.

The Moro issue is a complex problem with a complicated history. Internal divisions and the failed Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao only worsened the situation. Peace-building and developing the region not only depends on the region’s political leaders, but will also require the participation and cooperation of national leaders, civil society, and the private sector. Members of the Bangsamoro Transitional Authority must take this into consideration to avoid the same downfalls of its predecessor.

This paper further discusses the challenges of BARMM, and recommends actions that may help lay the ground work for the region, which we hope you will find useful and interesting.

(DOWNLOAD HERE)