Short link: https://wp.me/paaccn-YRm
MANILA — Speaker Mohammad S. Yacob, Ph.D., was honored as an “International Icon of Transformative Governance and Peace-Centered Leadership Excellence” conferred by the Global Guild of Influential Leaders Awards Inc. during the International Influential Icons and Global Hero Awards 2026 held on March 29 at Okada Manila.
The awarding ceremony carried the theme, “Cultivating Global Opportunities Through Recognition, Leadership, and Innovation,” bringing together distinguished leaders and change-makers from various sectors.
In his acceptance message, Yacob expressed humility and gratitude, emphasizing that the recognition reflects not only his personal journey but also the collective aspirations of the Bangsamoro people.
“𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑒𝑒𝑝 ℎ𝑢𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒, 𝐼 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑝𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛… 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑛 𝑏𝑒ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑓 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑒-𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑜 — 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑢𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒, 𝑑𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡,” Yacob said.
Yacob underscored that the award reinforces the responsibility of public leaders to uphold integrity and inclusivity in governance.
“𝐴𝑠 𝑤𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒, 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑚𝑠 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 — 𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑛𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡 𝑏𝑒ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑑,” he added.
Aligning his message with the event’s theme, he called for stronger collaboration and a sustained commitment to peace and development.
“𝑀𝑎𝑦 𝑤𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑠 𝑎 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠,” he concluded.
The recognition further affirms the growing international acknowledgement of the Bangsamoro Government’s efforts in promoting moral governance, inclusive development, and sustainable peace in the region.
Speaker Yacob Leads BTA Officials in a Meeting with JICA Leadership
Speaker Yacob, together with officials of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BTA-BARMM), met with representatives of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at EDSA Shangri-La, Manila.
The meeting served as a platform to reinforce the enduring partnership between the Bangsamoro Government and JICA, recognizing the agency’s long-standing support to the region — from the early years of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to the present Bangsamoro transition.
Speaker Yacob expressed appreciation for JICA’s continued commitment, emphasizing that such partnerships remain vital in advancing peace, strengthening governance, and accelerating inclusive development across the Bangsamoro.
Discussions focused on key development priorities, including ongoing and proposed economic initiatives such as the development of economic zones in Tawi-Tawi, as well as broader efforts to sustain growth in the lead-up to the region’s first parliamentary elections.
Speaker Yacob also outlined the Bangsamoro Government’s preparations for the historic parliamentary elections, highlighting the progress made and ongoing efforts to ensure a smooth and credible electoral process. He also emphasized that peace and security must remain central, noting that stability is essential for credible elections and long-term development.
In response, JICA reaffirmed its long-term commitment to supporting peace-building initiatives, development programs, and collaborative partnerships involving both the Philippine Government and the private sector. The agency also highlighted opportunities for knowledge exchange, innovation, and expanded economic cooperation, particularly in geographically isolated and disadvantaged communities.
The Bangsamoro Speaker welcomed these commitments, noting that strengthening institutional ties and fostering mutual learning are essential in building a more resilient and forward-looking Bangsamoro.
They concluded their meeting on a note of unity and shared purpose, with optimism expressed for sustained collaboration anchored on mutual trust, strong governance, and a shared vision for a peaceful and progressive region. (✓)