Special geographic area of Bangsamoro

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao of the Philippines has a special geographic area in the province of Cotabato, a province which is part of the Soccsksargen region. This area consists of 63 barangays in six municipalities of Cotabato.

Special geographic area of Bangsamoro
Special geographic area
Country	Philippines
Region	Bangsamoro
Province	Cotabato
Municipalities	Aleosan Carmen Kabacan Midsayap Pigcawayan Pikit
Barangays	63
Plebiscite of Cotabato barangays to join Bangsamoro	February 6, 2019
Turnover to the BARMM	November 20, 2019
Government
• Body	Special Geographic Area Development Authority[1]
• Administrator	Mohammad Kelie Antao
Population  (2015 census) [2]
• Total	192,324

These barangays were partitioned from Soccsksargen following a two-part plebiscite held in January and February 2019 which formed Bangsamoro after residents of said barangays consented their localities' inclusion to the new autonomous region. The municipalities these barangays are a part of, as well as the barangays themselves remain part of Cotabato. These barangays could be reorganized into one or more new municipalities, or be merged with any of the neighboring municipalities in Maguindanao province which is part of Bangsamoro.

The Bangsamoro regional government started effective governance over these barangays since the official turnover of these localities to the region by the Cotabato provincial government on November 20, 2019.

Some of these barangays are exclaves entirely surrounded by localities not part of Bangsamoro.

History

Turnover ceremony of the 63 barangays in Cotabato to the BARMM. November 20, 2019.

The Philippine government organized a two-part plebiscite which concerns the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, the founding basis of the then to be established Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) which was intended to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and the expansion of scope of the then-proposed Bangsamoro autonomous region to potentially include municipalities in Lanao del Norte, Isabela City in Basilan, Cotabato City, and select barangays in Cotabato province. For the prospective barangays in Cotabato to join, voters in all of the parent municipality also had to consent their bid to join BARMM.

Out of 67 barangays of Cotabato that were included in the plebiscite, 63 had successful bids for their inclusion in the Bangsamoro autonomous region.[3] The four that rejected the measure are Galidan in Tulunan, Balatican in Pikit, and Pagangan and Lower Mingading in Aleosan; these four were excluded from BARMM and remained part of Soccsksargen. Meanwhile, each municipality consented to its barangays in joining the BARMM. In Pikit, the most popular municipality in Cotabato, all but one barangay that voted in the plebiscite to join declined. This led to 20 barangays staying out of the BARMM, out of 42. Pikit's town hall, which is located in Fort Pikit, one of the barangays that voted for inclusion, is being petitioned to be annexed by Poblacion, one of the towns that didn't petition to be included.[4]

The barangays in Aleosan and Tolonan voted in favor of their inclusion but majority of voters in the rest of their parent municipalities voted against the barangays' inclusion. Barangay Baltican in Pikit rejected their inclusion while the rest of Pikit consented the barangay's inclusion and would have been part of the new autonomous region if Baltican voters also voted for their inclusion.[5]

Upon the effective foundation of the new Bangsamoro autonomous region, the barangays remained part of their parent municipalities. Their residents voted for municipal officials of their parent municipalities and Cotabato provincial officials in the 2019 Philippine general election.[6] The barangays could be reorganized into one or more municipalities or merged with any of the neighboring municipalities of Maguindanao.[7]

The full transfer of jurisdiction of the Cotabato barangays to the Bangsamoro autonomous government were ordered by Secretary of Interior and Local Government Eduardo Año following a meeting with Bangsamoro Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim on July 8, 2019.[8]

These barangays were still not under the effective control of Bangsamoro as of July 2019 since they were not yet officially turned over to Bangsamoro regional government which was initially set to occur once a local government code is passed by the Bangsamoro Parliament.[9]

With the local government code still pending, the official turnover took place on November 20, 2019.[10][11] The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Cotabato has passed a resolution concerning the transfer. Amidst budgetary concerns, the barangays were assured that they will still receive their Internal Revenue Allocation directly from the Department of Budget and Management after the transfer takes place.[12]

An official appointed to the Development Coordinating Office (DCO) taking their oath of moral governance on June 30, 2020 before Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim (left).

By March 2020, the 63 barangays were already grouped into a Special Geographic Area of the Bangsamoro region.[13]

Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim issued an executive order establishing a Development Coordinating Office (DCO) led by an Administrator and eight area coordinators to manage affairs in the 63 barangays in Cotabato. Mohammad Kelie Antao was appointed as administrator on June 30, 2020. Jimmy Adil, Jabib Guiabar, Esmael Maguid, Duma Mascud, Ibrahim Rahman, Abdulatip Tiago, and Nayang Timan were appointed as area coordinators on the same date.[14]

A second ceremony was held on December 15, 2020, to mark the symbolic assumption of the Bangsamoro regional government over the 63 Cotabato barangays.[15]

Proposed reorganization

In September 2019, there was a reported proposal to reorganize the Cotabato barangays into four municipalities through regional legislation and possibly annex them to the neighboring Maguindanao province. Pending the passage of the regional law, there is a plan by Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim to issue an executive order to group the barangays into eight clusters.[16] However such plan to form towns from the barangays was temporarily set aside and it was decided that an administrative body to be formed to oversee the barangays' affairs.[17]

Another proposal was to group the barangays into three municipalities instead of four. One of the proposed municipalities is Sultan Tambilawan, which is planned to consist of Midsayap's 13 barangays.[18]

After the formal turnover of the barangays to Bangsamoro, there are plans to group the barangays into eight clusters of geographic units, which is to be overseen by an administrator. The regional government will wait for the results of the 2020 census to determine the exact barangays that would be reorganized into new towns.[19]

The reorganization of the barangays is planned to be completed by 2022.[18]

Governance

The Special Geographic Area of Bangsamoro consists of barangays that are part of Cotabato province which is not part of the autonomous region despite the barangays themselves being part of Bangsamoro. For the Bangsamoro region to govern the barangays, these were constituted into a single administrative area under the direct supervision of the Bangsamoro Chief Minister through the region's Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG). The MILG deals with affairs of the area through the Special Geographic Area Development Authority which is headed by an administrator appointed by the chief minister.[1]

Barangays

List Bangsamoro barangays in Cotabato[3] Barangay Municipality Balacayon Pigcawayan Bago-inged Pikit Barungis Pikit Batulawan Pikit Bualan Pikit Buliok Pikit Bulol Pikit Buluan Kabacan Buricain Pigcawayan Central Labas Midsayap Damatulan Midsayap Datu Binasing Pigcawayan Datu Mantil Pigcawayan Dunguan Aleosan Fort Pikit Pikit Gli-Gli Pikit Gokotan Pikit Kabalasan Pikit Kadigasan Midsayap Kadingilan Midsayap Kadingilan Pigcawayan Kapinpilin Midsayap Kibayao Carmen Kitulaan Carmen Kudangaran Midsayap Lagunde Pikit Langogan Carmen Libungan Torreta Pigcawayan Lower Baguer Pigcawayan Lower Pangangkalan Pigcawayan Macabual Pikit Macasendeg Pikit Malingao Midsayap Manaulanan Pikit Manarapan Carmen Matilac Pigcawayan Mudseng Midsayap Nabalawag Midsayap Nabundas Pikit Nalapaan Pikit Nanga-an Kabacan Nunguan Pikit Nasapian Carmen Olandang Midsayap Panicupan Pikit Patot Pigcawayan Pebpoluan Carmen Pedtad Kabacan Pamalian Pikit Rajah Muda Pikit S. Balong Pikit S. Balongis Pikit Sambulawan Midsayap Sanggadong Kabacan Simbuhay Kabacan Simone Kabacan Simsiman Pigcawayan Tamped Kabacan Tapodoc Aleosan Tugal Midsayap Tumbras Midsayap Tupig Carmen Upper Pangankalan Pigcawayan

Barangays per municipality Number of barangays per municipality Municipality No of barangays Aleosan 2 Carmen 7 Kabacan 7 Midsayap 13 Pigcawayan 12 Pikit 22 Total: Six municipalities 63

References

1. "Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 13". Bangsamoro Parliament. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
2. Census of Population (2015). "Region XII (Soccsksargen)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. PSA. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
3. Santos, Tina (February 15, 2019). "63 Cotabato barangays now part of BARMM". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
4. Arguillas, Carolyn O. "Pikit's fate: 20 barangays remain with Cotabato, 22 joining BARMM". MindaNews. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
5. Depasupil, William (February 15, 2019). "63 NCotabato villages to join Bangsamoro". Manila Times. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
6. Arguilas, Carolyn (February 8, 2019). "Pikit's fate: 20 barangays remain with North Cotabato, 22 joining BARMM". Minda News. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
7. Layug, Margaret Claire (February 8, 2019). "What happens to Cotabato barangays not part of new Bangsamoro region?". GMA News (in English and Filipino). Retrieved May 22, 2019.
8. Fernandez, Edwin (July 9, 2019). "Cotabato City, 63 villages placed under BARMM". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
9. Fernandez, Edwin (July 21, 2019). "NoCot guv, BARMM chief meet on fate of 63 villages". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
10. Macabalang, Ali (November 13, 2019). "BARMM to assume official supervision over 63 NorCot villages on Nov. 20". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
11. Cabrera, Ferdinandh (November 20, 2019). "63 North Cotabato villages officially now part of BARMM". NDBC News. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
12. Cayon, Manuel (November 15, 2019). "North Cotabato's 63 barangays to be turned over to Barmm". BusinessMirror. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
13. Fernandez, Edwin (March 21, 2020). "BARMM records 2 Covid-19 deaths, 2 infected". Retrieved June 30, 2020.
14. "BARMM creates office to administer 63 barangays in North Cotabato". BARMM Bureau of Public Information. June 30, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
15. Unson, John (December 18, 2020). "North Cotabato promises support for 63 villages now in BARMM". Philippine Star. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
16. Macabalang, Ali (September 10, 2019). "63 brgys which voted to join BARMM to comprise 4 clustered municipalities". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
17. Fernandez, Edwin (September 19, 2019). "BARMM shelves cluster plan for 63 NoCot villages". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
18. Fuerzas, Garry (September 23, 2019). "Konsultasyon patuloy sa 63 brgys sa North Cotabato na sinakop ng BARMM" [Consultation continues with 63 barangays in North Cotabato absorbed by BARMM]. Bombo Radyo (in Filipino). Retrieved September 24, 2019.
19. Solaiman, Taher (November 23, 2019). "Cotabato cedes 63 villages to Bangsamoro". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved November 23, 2019.