𝗕𝗘𝗗𝗖 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗘𝗡 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝟮𝗡𝗗 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗥 𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚

COTABATO CITY – The Bangsamoro Economic and Development Council (BEDC) approved ten resolutions during its second regular meeting for calendar year (CY) 2024, held through a hybrid conference on Thursday, June 27. The meeting was presided over by its chairperson, BARMM Chief Minister Ahod B. Ebrahim, alongside his vice chairperson, BPDA Director General Engr. Mohajirin T. Ali, MNSA.

Endorsed by the BEDC sectoral and special committees, the following approved resolutions were thoroughly deliberated by the council’s officials and members:

1) Endorsement of the proposed Health System Resilience Project (HSRP) of the Department of Health (DOH) Central Office in partnership with the World Bank for calendar year 2025-2029 to the National Economic and Development Authority–Investment Coordinating Committee (NEDA-ICC);

2) Endorsement of the 2025 proposed budget of the Philippine Statistics Authority–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PSA-BARMM) to the PSA Board;

3) Endorsement of the Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO- BAR) list of proposed programs and projects for FY 2025 for inclusion in the Philippine National Police Budget Proposal for FY 2025;

4) Creation of the Bangsamoro Tourism Development Sub-Committee under the Economic Development Committee;

5) Creation of the Water Resources Sub-Committee under the Infrastructure Development Committee;

6) Inclusion of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA-BARMM) as regular member under the Peace, Public Order, Safety and Security Committee;

7) Adoption and endorsement of the Bangsamoro Spatial Development Framework/Plan (BSDF/P) 2024-2050 to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament for Approval;

8)Approval of the BARMM Regional Plan of Action for Nutrition 2023-2028;

9) Resolution enjoining the Bangsamoro Ministries, Offices, and Agencies (BMOAs), Local Government Units (LGUs), and Higher Education Institutions (HEIS) to institutionalize volunteerism as a development strategy in the BARMM; and

10) Resolution of the NEDA Board Regional Development Committee Mindanao Area Committee (NB RDCom-MAC) supporting the Government Procurement Reform and Budget Modernization Bill.

In his message, Chief Minister Ebrahim emphasized the Bangsamoro government’s priority of building an empowered, cohesive, and progressive Bangsamoro through economic development by capitalizing on its comparative advantage. He highlighted the surge in BARMM’s economic performance in 2023, with a 4.3% increase and an estimated Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) rise of Php11.9 billion.

“Of the 4.3% growth, services comprised a 2.7% share, agriculture, forestry, and fishing contributed a 1% share, and industry accounted for a 0.6% share. The region’s GDP grew from Php280.3 billion in 2022 to Php292.2 billion in 2023. Although this growth is lower than the 6.6% recorded in 2022, it remains a positive indication of the region’s economic performance,” shared Chief Minister Ebrahim.

He also underscored the remarkable progress in the Bangsamoro peace process, stating, “The establishment and effective operation of the Inter-Government Relations Body (IGRB) signifies a significant step towards enduring peace and the realization of Bangsamoro self-determination,” emphasizing the Bangsamoro government’s commitment to enhancing its institutional capacities.

The meeting was attended by the chairpersons and representatives of the council’s sectoral and special committees, local chief executives of the provinces and cities in BARMM, private sector representatives, and some observers.