BARMM

BARMM: Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

BARMM is the Philippines' only autonomous region, created through the Bangsamoro Organic Law ratified in a January 2019 plebiscite. The law came from the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed in March 2014 between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, ending decades of armed conflict in western Mindanao. BARMM replaced the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which operated from 1989 to 2019 under a different framework. It is governed by a Bangsamoro Parliament and a chief minister based in Cotabato City, with autonomous powers over legislation, budget, education, health, land, and public order that ordinary Philippine administrative regions do not hold.

The region currently includes five provinces: Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, and Tawi-Tawi, as well as Cotabato City and a group of barangays in North Cotabato called the Special Geographic Area. Sulu is no longer part of BARMM and is now classified under Region IX, following a September 2024 Supreme Court ruling that was declared final and executory.

In 2022, the former province of Maguindanao was split into Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur as part of administrative reorganization.

The Bangsamoro Transition Authority has operated 15 ministries from the Bangsamoro Government Center on Governor Gutierrez Avenue in Cotabato City, Rosary Heights VII. The complex includes the Executive Building, a Regional Assembly Building turned over in April 2026, and the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex. A 2023 parliamentary vote approved relocating the government center to Parang, Maguindanao del Norte, but that move remains in an implementation phase.

Al Haj Murad Ebrahim served as BARMM's first Chief Minister from March 2019 to March 2025, when Abdulraof Macacua was appointed as interim Chief Minister. The September 14, 2026 election will fill 80 parliamentary seats: 40 for regional political party representatives, 32 for parliamentary district representatives, and 8 for sectoral representatives. The elected government takes office October 30, 2026, with a term running to June 30, 2031. The BARMM 2026 budget was approved at 114.1 billion pesos.

Remaining transition challenges include decommissioning of MILF combatants, whose promised economic packages from the national government were not fulfilled by 2025, and the Marawi compensation process, where only about 10 percent of the 14,495 registered claimants had received payment by late 2025.

BARMM is in western and central Mindanao, with mainland areas around Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao plus Basilan and Tawi-Tawi island provinces facing the Moro Gulf, Celebes Sea, and Sulu Sea.

Quick Answer

BARMM is the Philippines' only autonomous region, not an ordinary administrative region. Created in 2019 to replace ARMM, it has a Bangsamoro Parliament and chief minister in Cotabato City, covers five provinces plus Cotabato City and the Special Geographic Area, excludes Sulu under current PSGC records, and remains in transition toward its first regular parliamentary election.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is BARMM?

BARMM stands for Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. It is the Philippines' autonomous region in Mindanao, established in 2019 under the Bangsamoro Organic Law to replace ARMM and implement the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

What areas are included in BARMM?

BARMM covers Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato City, and the Special Geographic Area. Sulu is not currently part of BARMM under PSGC classification.

Is Sulu part of BARMM?

No. The Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling on September 9, 2024 that Sulu is not part of BARMM, based on the province's rejection of the 2019 plebiscite by 54 percent of voters. The ruling was declared final and executory. Sulu is now classified under Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula) in current PSGC records. Any travel, government, or business content that lists Sulu as part of BARMM reflects outdated information.

How is BARMM governed differently from other Philippine regions?

BARMM has a Bangsamoro Parliament and a Chief Minister, making it a parliamentary autonomous government rather than a standard executive-branch administrative region. Ordinary Philippine administrative regions have no legislature of their own and are coordinated through national government agencies. BARMM's parliament has 80 seats divided into 40 for regional political parties, 32 for district representatives, and 8 for sectoral representatives covering non-Moro indigenous peoples, settler communities, women, youth, traditional leaders, and the ulama. The Chief Minister and two Deputy Chief Ministers are elected from among parliament members. BARMM also operates 15 ministries covering basic and higher education, health, interior and local government, agriculture, finance, public works, transportation, human settlements, and environment.

What was ARMM and how does it differ from BARMM?

ARMM, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, was established in 1989 under Republic Act 6734. It covered Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, and Sulu, and later Basilan and Marawi City. ARMM operated under a presidential system with a regional governor and assembly. It was criticized throughout its 30 years for persistent underdevelopment, weak service delivery, patronage politics, and failure to address the root causes of the Bangsamoro armed conflict. BARMM replaced it in 2019 with a parliamentary structure, broader fiscal autonomy, and explicit links to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, which committed to decommissioning MILF forces and resolving land and governance issues.

What happened to Maguindanao province in BARMM?

Maguindanao was divided into two provinces in 2022: Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur, as part of administrative reorganization during the Bangsamoro transition.

What is the Special Geographic Area in BARMM?

The Special Geographic Area is a cluster of barangays in North Cotabato province that voted to join BARMM during the 2019 plebiscite. They are geographically within North Cotabato but administratively under BARMM governance.

What is the population of BARMM?

The 2020 census recorded 4,404,288 people in BARMM. More recent estimates place the 2024 population at approximately 4,545,486.

When is the first BARMM parliamentary election?

The first regular Bangsamoro parliamentary election is scheduled for September 14, 2026. It will elect 80 parliament members across party, district, and sectoral seats. The elected government takes office October 30, 2026, with a term running to June 30, 2031. The election matters because BARMM has been governed since 2019 by a Bangsamoro Transition Authority with appointed members, not elected ones. The leadership race for Chief Minister features former Chief Minister Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and current interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, who was appointed in March 2025 when Ebrahim stepped down.

Who leads BARMM in 2025 and 2026 and what are the governance challenges?

Al Haj Murad Ebrahim served as the first BARMM Chief Minister from the March 2019 inauguration until March 2025. Abdulraof Macacua was appointed as interim Chief Minister in March 2025 and holds that position going into the September 2026 elections. The BARMM 2026 annual budget was approved at 114.1 billion pesos. Ongoing governance challenges include the decommissioning of MILF combatants, whose promised one million peso economic packages from the national government had not been fulfilled by 2025. Land tenure disputes affect some displaced communities. A proposed relocation of the government center from Cotabato City to Parang, Maguindanao del Norte, was approved by parliament in 2023 but remains in implementation planning.

How does BARMM connect its island provinces to Cotabato City?

BARMM's government center in Cotabato City is several hours from the island provinces of Basilan and Tawi-Tawi. A Basilan to Cotabato RORO route allows travel between Isabela City in Basilan and the mainland capital without routing through Zamboanga City, which used to be the only practical connection. A Cotabato to Tawi-Tawi air route that launched in 2022 was the first internal air link connecting the island and mainland provinces within the autonomous region. A direct Zamboanga to Cotabato bus route added in 2024 cuts travel time for residents from the western corridor. Seaweed farming is the main livelihood in Tawi-Tawi, with the province accounting for a large share of Philippine dried seaweed exports. Basilan is known for rubber and coconut production in addition to its Yakan weaving traditions. Both island provinces face persistent gaps in health services, school quality, and road infrastructure compared to the mainland Maguindanao areas.

Provinces in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is one of the six administrative regions of Mindanao. Its province and coverage list includes Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato City, Special Geographic Area.

  • Basilan
  • Lanao del Sur
  • Maguindanao del Norte
  • Maguindanao del Sur
  • Tawi-Tawi
  • Cotabato City
  • Special Geographic Area