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DAVAO CITY — Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) Minister Jordan S. Bayam has reaffirmed the Ministry’s continuing commitment to a responsive and transformative governance in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Bayam made this assurance during the second phase of the Strategic Planning Update held at the Blue Lotus Hotel here on May 19, 2026, as he outlined the MILG’s strategic priorities.
The Minister emphasized that the Ministry’s future direction must respond to the evolving demands of implementing the Bangsamoro Local Government Code and Comprehensive Devolution across the region.
He highlighted that the Ministry must account for its evolving and dynamic role in executing both the Bangsamoro Local Government Code and the Comprehensive Devolution.
“Our Plan, the way we do things must be data-driven with factual information; because things we cannot measure cannot be changed,” Bayam emphasized during the event’s direction-setting session.
The MILF head also stressed his support for the creation of a Bangsamoro Local Government Academy (BLGA) to ensure that even at the barangay or village level the governance works well.
In advancing the Ministry’s dedication to transforming local governance, this phase focused on finalizing its 10-year roadmap and refining its vision, mission, goals, and outcome framework.
Bayam underscored that the Plan must align with the 2nd Bangsamoro Development Plan (BDP) and Interim Chief Minister (ICM) Abdulraof A. Macacua’s “Mas Matatag na Bangsamoro” agenda.
This second phase focuses on systematically addressing critical areas, including infrastructure, institutional capacity, local government transformation, disaster preparedness, peace, and security.
The Planning Division, headed by Chief Abdul Rahman A. Kara, facilitated the continuation of the succeeding phases, building upon the outcomes of the initial strategic planning consultation workshops conducted from April 28 to May 7, 2026. These activities included engagements with the Ministry’s different services and visits to the provincial field offices.
MILG Director General Eng’r Khalid S. Dumagay in his remark emphasized that the result of this Phase 2 of Strategic Planning is a crucial document because it will serve as the Ministry’s guide in charting the future direction of the framework, as well as the personnel’s undertaking.
“This year, our existing strategic plan is set to end this year, the reason why we are doing this is to formulate a long-term plan for the next 10 years. By doing that, we need to look back in order to come up with a better version of our strategic plan,” he added.
Having completed seven years of service, the Ministry is entering a critical phase of organizational review and updates. Central to this effort is a systematic evaluation of the Ministry’s Vision, Mission, Goals, and Outcome Framework.
Rather than simply projecting forward, the Ministry is initiating its next decade with a strategic, internal assessment. This deliberate pause is designed to proactively address future governance challenges and secure a resilient framework for long-term public impact.
Bayam addressed immediate concerns raised by office heads and key personnel
Demonstrating proactive leadership, Bayam addressed immediate concerns raised by office heads and key personnel prior to the session’s official start. He sat down throughout the sessions, meticulously observing each presentation and providing guidance. His active involvement marked a significant opportunity for collaborative leadership in molding the MILG’s 10-year roadmap.
The workshop was facilitated by Maria Victoria “Mags” Z. Maglana, an independent consultant specializing in good governance, sustainable development, gender equality, transitional justice, and peace and conflict transformation.
Maglana guided participants through the entire process, leading the comprehensive review of the Ministry’s existing Vision, Mission, Goals, and Outcome Framework, and steering the collaborative effort to craft the newly updated institutional directives.
The activity convened MILG officials including service directors, provincial and city directors, division chiefs, and heads of personnel across BARMM in a unified undertaking to realign the Ministry’s strategic direction, reinforce institutional systems and mechanisms that will steer the Ministry beyond the Bangsamoro transition period.
Activities concluded on May 21. The final outputs are anticipated to strengthen the alignment of the Ministry’s program, with a system that ensures program implementation aligns strictly with the specific agency target.
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. (✓