OSAP cites admin’s effort to bolster BARMM institutions

The Marcos administration is prioritizing efforts to reinforce Bangsamoro institutions to ensure unified and consistent implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP) said Wednesday.

OSAP Assistant Secretary Ria Lumapas said that strengthening institutional capacity is key to enabling both the national government and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to effectively fulfill their CAB commitments.

Lumapas highlighted the upcoming first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) as a critical political milestone.

“It completes the political track of the peace process and allows the region to finally have a government that is no longer transitional or appointed but derives its mandate from the electorate, thereby strengthening the legitimacy of the BARMM government,” Lumapas said.

She stressed the need for forward planning to be rooted in "practical realities," urging officials to clearly identify existing gaps so institutions can address current and emerging issues.

Lumapas called for stronger interagency cooperation, noting that government offices must move away from "working in silos or protecting turfs" in favor of institution-focused policies that ensure continuity regardless of leadership changes.

“The national government and the BARMM, both sides, can still work together and meet normalization targets because the peace process must be insulated from politics,” she added.

The assistant secretary also advocated for the creation of a single comprehensive roadmap that establishes unified milestones and targets. She suggested that long-used terms such as parallel, commensurate, and substantial implementation must be clearly defined to align expectations for the CAB.

Lumapas stressed that by promoting interagency coordination and setting clear standards, the administration aims to translate the peace process into stable governance, durable institutions, and long-term development for the Bangsamoro region.