BARMM VOICES

When BARMM was inaugurated back in 2019, it was considered as a transformative moment in Philippine history. After the decades of conflict, displacement, and marginalization, the Moro people were finally granted a chance within political autonomy under the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), which was ratified through a plebiscite back in 2019. It emphasized not just a legal shift but a psychological one. This was a shift that focuses towards decolonizing governance, restoring dignity, and reclaiming autonomy.

Yet 6 years into the transition, a critical question must be asked: is this new autonomy reshaping the region’s political culture, or is it merely reconsolidating old systems of control?

The concept of decolonization in the context of Bangsamoro is seen in rejecting centuries of external domination where it was seen first in Spanish and American colonial regimes, and it was later centralized by the Manila-based governance. BARMM that was created through the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) in 2014, focused on dismantling those structures by transferring powers over governance, education, taxation, and justice to a region run by its own people.

It would be unfair to deny that progress has been made. Local leadership in status quo has more control over decision-making where they gain the ability to design policies that better reflect Islamic, indigenous, and regional values. By localizing governance, the region enables increased cultural visibility, especially through language and religious education reforms.

What does true autonomy mean for BARMM? It means more than self-rule in name. It requires a reconstruction of how power is shaped and expressed. If the same elite groups control politics, it will not be inclusive as the IPs and women’s voices are not included, and if decision-making continues to repeat the centralized patterns, then BARMM risks becoming a symbolic autonomy, not a progressive one.

BARMM offered a rare and powerful opportunity to reshape what governance looks like in a multicultural, interfaith, and postcolonial society. But that future depends on the probability of dismantling not only the external control but also internal hierarchies. Autonomy should always be accompanied by accountability, inclusion, and genuine redistribution of power. Otherwise, the promise of decolonization becomes unrealistic, and the old structure of colonization remains intact underneath a new banner of external control and internal hierarchy.

It has been noted that due to the upcoming elections, there is a risk of threat to the concept of autonomy in the organic law. The BOL is a mini-constitution for BARMM, hence the Bangsamoro policy that is made should be fiercely skeptical about moves to change it without their consent. Amending the BOL without a plebiscite has provided Congress a wider latitude to interfere with BARMM autonomy.

In conclusion, decolonizing identity is not just about breaking free from the colonial struggles and powers. It is also about acknowledging the uncomfortable truths within and choosing to build a future catered to the truth and where all voices whether it be Moro, Lumad, indigenous people, Non-Moro, youth, women, are heard and honored equally. This is important at the end of the day for region to prosper continually and for change to be good.

REFERENCES:

The Nation (2021) Bangsamoro transition extension a win for continuity, but a threat to autonomy. https://www.bworldonline.com/the-nation/2021/11/01/407668/bangsamoro-transition-extension-a-win-for-continuity-but-a-threat-to-autonomy/

Johamin Inok (2024) Reflecting on a Decade of Peace: A Look Back at the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/news/latest-news/reflecting-on-a-decade-of-peace-a-look-back-at-the-comprehensive-agreement-on-the-bangsamoro/

Institute for Autonomy and Governance (2018) What are the rights of indigenous peoples in the BOL? https://iag.org.ph/think/1762-what-are-the-rights-of-indigenous-peoples-in-the-bol