MAJOR strides were recently taken by the national and Bangsamoro governments following the signing of several agreements aimed to bring more services to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Most notable among them are the re-establishment of a consular office of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and regional office of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) in the region.
Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, who serves as co-chairman of the Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) for the national government side, said that the agreements were listed alongside other major issues discussed by the body's technical working groups during the 13th IGRB meeting held last week in Pasig City.
The other deals include the conduct of the annual Hajj and Umrah; the nationwide recognition of the Bangsamoro Land Transportation Office (BLTO); and the transfer of properties from the national government to the Bangsamoro government.
'With these achievements in only six-months' time, I know that we will soon see a more united Philippines where no Filipino is left behind, not even those in the farthest areas of BARMM,' Pangandaman said in a statement released by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) over the weekend.
'There is still much work to be done ahead. But I hope that with these achievements, we are all inspired to continue working hard towards our Agenda for Prosperity in BARMM,' she added.
Also present during the meeting were Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno.
Under Section 2, Article VI of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, the IGRB was created to coordinate and resolve issues between the two parties through regular consultation and continuing negotiation in a non-adversarial manner.
Among the national agencies which attended the IGRB meeting are Office of Special Assistant to the President, Finance, Interior and Local Government, Department of National Defense, Public Works and Highways, Agriculture Senior Transportation, National Economic and Development, and the Office of Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, which was attended by its Acting OPAPRU Isidro Purisima.
The IGRB is supported by a Joint Secretariat co-headed by OPAPRU Presidential Assistant Wilben Mayor and Bangsamoro Attorney-General Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba.