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COTABATO CITY — Minister Mohagher M. Iqbal attended today, June 19, the 4th Commencement Exercises of Jamiat Cotabato Institute of Technology (JCIT) as the Keynote Speaker.
In his message, Minister Iqbal. head of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE), challenged the graduates to become agents of positive change for the Bangsamoro people.
MBHTE is one of the 15 primary ministries of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
โYour pursuit of knowledge should not end here, carry with you the wisdom, skills, and values you have gained as you follow your dreams and contribute to the welfare of our community,” he said.
The Ministry congratulates all the graduates, their families, and the entire institution on this meaningful milestone, and extends its continued support for their future endeavors.
In another development, the MBHTE conducted a groundbreaking ceremony last June 2, 2025, for the construction of a school clinic at Gandasuli Elementary School (GES), Barangay Umangay, Patikul, Sulu.
The project, with a total budget of Php 2,205,123.18, is funded under the Social Development Fund (SDF) 2022. Once completed, the clinic will help provide basic health services to students and staff, promoting a safer and healthier school environment.
In addition, on June 11, 2025, Sulu State College (SSC), located in Barangay Bangkal, Patikul, Sulu, also held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a two-storey Student Center Building SCB).
With a total funding of Php 29,402,029.11 under the SDF 2023, the upcoming facility is envisioned to serve as a hub for student activities, support services, and academic engagement.
These projects reflect MBHTEโs continuing commitment to improving education facilities and support systems across the Bangsamoro region.
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, and Tawi-Tawi, the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi, as well as the Special Geographic Areaโs (SGA) 63 barangays or villages — now eight new municipalities — that voted โYesโ 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. (โ)