Proposed BTA bill requires LGUs to allocate land for Bangsamoro Public Cemetery

COTABATO CITY – Some members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament proposed a bill that requires all local government units in the region to allocate land space for the establishment of Bangsamoro Public Cemetery.

BTA Bill No. 104 or the Bangsamoro Public Cemetery Act of 2021 orders all BARMM LGUs to allocate a minimum of 2,000 square meters of land per 1,000 population within their respective jurisdictions; 20% of the space will be for use by non-Muslims.

Members of the Parliament Amilbahar Mawallil, Atty. Rasol Mitmug, and Engr. Baintan Ampatuan filed the bill on June 23.

The authors said that due to a lack of provision for Muslim public cemeteries and/or existing ones are not well-maintained and operated, residents of the region face difficulties and have to travel great distances to bury their deceased.

The enactment of the bill will not only promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the region’s constituents but will also imply the “adoption of measures towards ensuring mutual respect and protection of the distinct beliefs, customs, and traditions of the Bangsamoro people and other inhabitants in the BARMM,” the authors said.

Section 5 of the bill states that the fund needed for the operation and maintenance of the public cemeteries shall be provided by the Ministry of Interior and Local Government (MILG) in the submission of the BARMM budget to the Ministry of Finance, Budget, and Management (MFBM) for inclusion in the block grant and annual appropriations law.

The bill has been referred to the parliament’s committees on social services and local government. (Bangsamoro Information Office)