Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim delivers his speech during the celebration of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro’s (CAB) 10th anniversary at Camp Abubakar, Barira, Maguindanao del Norte on April 29, 2024. (Michael Camsa/BIO)
MAGUINDANAO DEL NORTE—Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim recalled on Monday, April 29, the journey with the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) a decade ago, resulting in a hopeful beginning for the Bangsamoro community.
“Ten years ago, we signed an important document, the CAB, that acknowledged the legitimacy of the rights of the Bangsamoro people to self-determination,” CM Ebrahim stated during the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the CAB at Camp Abubakar, Barira, Maguindanao del Norte.
“We saw it as a triumphant quantum leap from history; the beginning of a new dawn for our people,” he added.
On March 27, 2014, the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) forged a strong alliance, following the signing of the CAB—the final peace accord between the parties that ended their armed struggle for more than 20 years.
He emphasized further that the MILF-led interim government served as a role model in exercising moral governance in every aspect of its service delivery and interventions.
“We have put in place a BARMM that gives due regard to individual and collective rights—a government that is democratic and representative of the diversities we embrace in the territory,” said the Chief Minister.
Ebrahim mentioned that the CAB gains caused the following developments in the Bangsamoro region, to wit: a decrease in poverty rates, an increase in investments, and more job opportunities.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), BARMM’s poverty incidence significantly decreased by 29.8 percent in 2021 from 54.20 percent in 2018, accompanied by a 56 percent increase in investment, indicating a notable improvement.
On April 16, 2024, Bangsamoro Board of Investments (BBOI) Chairperson Mohamad Pasigan said that the various investments in the Bangsamoro region are expected to inject P3.7 billion into the local economy within the current year, which will eventually generate 1,155 jobs.
In January 2024, the country’s employment rate is estimated at 95.5 percent, marking a significant increase of 0.3 percent compared to last year’s 95.2 percent. This highlights the region’s significant contribution to the national employment data.
Ebrahim also mentioned the commencement of Bangsamoro Airways, a regional-based airline company launched last week, April 24, aimed at bolstering economic development and connectivity in the BARMM.
He encouraged the peace champions and Bangsamoro residents to stay committed to religiously implementing the peace agreement, saying, “In doing so, we will completely bring the letters of the CAB into reality and herald the Bangsamoro into a path of economic security, political stability, and success.”
Ebrahim continued to urge his people to keep their promise of not being divided, considering the region’s peace as their legacy.
Sustaining and improving peace, security, and justice is the 11th priority agenda of CM Ebrahim. (Johamin Inok/BIO)
