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MANILA, April 27, 2026 –Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament Speaker Mohammad S. Yacob, Ph.D., continued his initiative to push the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to engage more with the international community.
Over the course of this sizzling month of April, Yacob, who is a member of the Central Committee of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and member of the Parliament (MP), paid a courtesy visit to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila on April 7 aimed at “strengthening coordination on foreign engagements, improve services for the Bangsamoro, and advance capacity-building and development initiatives.”
On April 6, the BTA Speaker welcomed at the Parliament a delegation from the Embassy of Canada led by Simon Snoxell, head of cooperation. Also in the visit were representatives from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Women.
During their meeting, Yacob emphasized the “importance of sustained partnership in advancing the gains of the Bangsamoro peace process, particularly as the region moves closer to its first parliamentary elections (on September 14) 2026”.
Yacob’s latest initiative was his courtesy visit to the Royal Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia headed by Ambassador Hisham Al-Qahtani in Makati City.
Speaker Yacob to receive recognition award from a Saudi university
The Office of the Speaker at the Parliament in the Bangsamoro Government Center (BGC) in Cotabato City said his meeting with the top envoy of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud “highlighted the long-standing friendly relations between the Government of the Philippines (GPH), including the Bangsamoro Government, and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to continued cooperation and development, not only in BARMM but across the entire country.”
The two parties’ discussion also deep-dived on areas of mutual interest, including post-election support for continued peace-building efforts and strengthening of governance in the Bangsamoro.
By “Bangsamoro”, it means the BARMM which is composed of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, and Tawi-Tawi; the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi; and the Special Geographic Area (SGA) made up of eight municipalities in North Cotabato but under BARMM jurisdiction and sphere of influence.
In relation with this, they also explored potential collaboration in institutional development, Islamic finance, Shari’ah-related judicial strengthening, and expanded scholarship opportunities for Bangsamoro students.
Yacob assured that his visit is a reflection of the Bangsamoro Parliament’s continued commitment to a stronger international partnerships and fostering of closed people-to-people ties.
The BTA Speaker, meanwhile, took advantage of his visit to the Saudi Embassy to inform the ambassador of his upcoming travel to Saudi Arabia in connection to receive an award from his university.
He added that his embassy visit provided him an opportunity to express his appreciation for the engagement with the Saudi government and to work for a stronger coordination between the two parties for the good and benefit of the people of the Bangsamoro in particular and the Filipino people in general.
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. EDD K. USMAN (✓)