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COTABATO CITY, October 2, 2023 — The Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) headed by Minister Naguib G. Sinarimbo conducted three activities today, Monday.
“This year’s SEAL and LGAIP awardees will each receive Php2.5 million worth of projects from the Ministry. MOAs for these projects were signed today. The formal awarding ceremony will be next year during the BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao) Anniversary,” Sinarimbo, BARMM spokesperson, said.
The interior ministry’s third activity was the 3rd Meeting of the Mindanao Humanitarian Team (MHT)- BARMM, a joint meeting which, he said, was co-convened with UNOCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs).
He noted that the meeting discussed situation reports on the flooding and other disasters that struck the region, displacement situation report, and the peace and security situation update given both by the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and the PNP (Philippine National Police) in the BARMM. The meeting also tackled preparations for the BSK (Barangay and Sanggunian) Elections 2023.
“We thank all our partners such as UN Agencies, Ministries and offices in the BARMM, INGOs (international non-government organizations), local CSOs (civil society organizations) and the security sector for attending today’s meeting and for their continuing commitment to address humanitarian challenges as well as peace and security challenges in the Bangsamoro,” the MILG chief said.
The Ministry is catering to the Bangsamoro region, established in 2018 by the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) to implement the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), is made up of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi, as well as the Special Geographic Area’s (SGA) 63 barangays or villages that voted “Yes” in a plebiscite in February 2019 to be under the BARMM jurisdiction.
According to the Philippine Atlas BARMM has 4,404,288 people. It has 116 municipalities: Basilan, 11 municipalities; Lanao del Sur, 39; undivided Maguindanao, 36; Sulu, 19; and Tawi-Tawi, 11. Its component cities are Cotabato (the regional center and capital) in Maguindanao; Lamitan in Basilan; and Marawi in Lanao del Sur. — EKU/MILG (✓)