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COTABATO CITY — The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) consultants Yukitoshi Matsumoto and Naoko Anzai, together with IC Net Local Consultant Noraida Manunggal, paid a courtesy visit to Minister Mohagher M. Iqbal today, January 30, at the Minister’s Office, Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE).
They discussed strengthening capacity-building programs for teachers and ministry employees, addressing learners’ priority needs, and reaffirmed both parties’ support and commitment to improving the quality of education.
In another development, to reaffirm their continued support for the MBHTE, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Philippines paid a courtesy visit to the Office of the Minister, Mohagher M. Iqbal, today, January 30, 2026, at the MBHTE Conference Room.
The delegation was led by Ms. Kyungsun Kim, Country Representative of UNICEF Philippines, together with Andres Wuestenberg, Chief of the Mindanao Field Office, and Ms. Gina Soriano, Education Officer.
Their discussion focused on strengthening the partnership between the Ministry and UNICEF, sustaining UNICEF’s support for education initiatives, and enhancing teacher competence and commitment to improve learning outcomes.
This shared commitment reaffirmed both institutions’ dedication to advancing inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all learners in the Bangsamoro region.
The Bangsamoro region, established in 2018 by the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) to implement the 2014 CAB, is made up of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, and Tawi-Tawi, the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi, as well as the Special Geographic Area’s (SGA) 63 barangays or villages — now eight new municipalities — 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. (✓)