Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) co-chairs Bangsamoro Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal (left) and Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman (right) lead the 18th IGRB meeting held at Limketkai Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (Michael Camsa/BIO)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) co-chairs Bangsamoro Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman facilitated renewed commitments during the 18th IGRB meeting held here on May 8, 2024.
This is the seventh IGRB meeting under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. attended by the members of the IGRB, the joint-secretariat, and resource persons.
Before delving into the agenda for Wednesday’s discussion, both parties confirmed the minutes of its previous 17th IGRB meeting held last February 8 in Pasay City.
Minister Iqbal underscored that the establishment and continued operation of the IGRB undeniably signify the success of the Bangsamoro peace process across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“The Bangsamoro Organic Law’s (BOL) continued implementation is made possible in large part by the IGRB. By overseeing the transfer of powers, functions, and resources from the National Government to the Bangsamoro Government, the IGRB has been instrumental in ensuring that the autonomy stipulated in the BOL is not merely theoretical but fully operational,” he said.
The Minister shared that BARMM’s progress towards enduring peace and self-determination has improved because of the body’s continued oversight, saying, “We are even more driven to pursue intergovernmental issues that have still eluded an agreed resolution.”
He added, “We take comfort in the mutual dedication and sincerity of each other and look forward to finding mutually acceptable solutions that bring to fruition the promise of the CAB [Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro] and the BOL.”
Iqbal reiterated the previous statement of President Marcos during the 17th IGRB meeting wherein the latter stated that “a stronger BARMM means a stronger Mindanao, and a stronger Mindanao means a stronger Philippines”— indicating the indispensable role of the IGRB to attain this mutual objective.
For her part, Secretary Pangandaman took the opportunity to thank the President for lauding the IGRB in sustaining the gains of the Bangsamoro peace process.
“Indeed, we can all be proud that in less than two years, we have activated not just a few but all of the seven mechanisms of the IGRB. That is testament to our shared commitment and dedication to uplifting BARMM,” she noted.
To recall, on Nov. 9, 2023, all seven (7) mechanisms were created including, the Philippine Congress-Bangsamoro Parliament Forum (PCBFF), Intergovernmental Fiscal Policy Board (IFPB), Joint Body for the Zones of Joint Cooperation (JBZJC), Intergovernmental Infrastructure Development Board (IFPB), Intergovernmental Energy Board (IEB), Bangsamoro Sustainable Development Board (BSDB), and the Council of Leaders (COL).
Pangandaman added, “It is truly inspiring when no less than the President sees the value in what we do as the IGRB. As such, let us continue with utmost dedication in our mission to uplift the lives of our kababayans here in BARMM and work even harder for a Bagong BARMM in the Bagong Pilipinas.”
She likewise emphasized the importance of collective efforts for a truly inclusive path toward peace that secures not only the present and future of the Bangsamoro but of the whole nation.
Some significant milestones of the BARMM were also mentioned by the secretary which include the P3.3 billion worth of investments in the last three months of 2023 alone, generating employment for 1,927 workers; graduation ceremony for 100 former members of the MILF and MNLF who are now part of the Philippine National Police Force; and commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) last April 29 in Maguindanao, among others.
Under Section 2, Article VI of the BOL, the IGRB was created to coordinate and resolve issues between the two parties through regular consultation and continuing negotiation in a non-adversarial manner.
The IGRB is supported by a Joint Secretariat co-headed by Bangsamoro Attorney-General Atty. Anna Tarhata Basman and OPAPRU Presidential Assistant Wilben Mayor.
The body is scheduled to reconvene after two months. (Datu Norhamidin Mamasainged/BIO)
