Cotabato City -- To address alarmingly low education completion rates in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), a bill proposing the establishment of a Bangsamoro State University (BSU) in Kabuntalan, Maguindanao del Norte, has been filed in the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA)

Parliament (Parliament Bill No. 359, or the Bangsamoro State University Act of 2025).

Deputy Speaker Baintan Ampatuan, the bill’s principal author, stated that the university will provide accessible and affordable tertiary education, particularly for marginalized communities.  The university is intended to help bridge education gaps, reduce inequality, and support ongoing peace and development efforts in the region.

 

"The goal is to ensure that every Bangsamoro has equal and equitable access to quality education," Ampatuan said.

 

The bill cites stark statistics highlighting the urgent need for improved educational opportunities in BARMM.  In 2017, the region’s elementary completion rate was a mere 54 percent, significantly lower than the national average of 94 percent.  Furthermore, data indicates that only one out of every ten children who begin primary education in BARMM completes junior high school on time.

 

The proposed BSU will offer a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and vocational programs encompassing education, engineering, science and technology, health sciences, arts and humanities, information and communication technology, and other relevant fields.  The university will also conduct research and extension services to benefit the community.

 

The Minister of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education will chair the university's Board of Regents.  Initial funding will be sourced from the contingent fund, with future allocations incorporated into the MBHTE's General Appropriations Act.  

The bill is co-authored by MPs Tomanda Antok, Kitem Kadatuan Jr., and Sittie Fahanie Uy-Oyod.  The establishment of the BSU represents a significant step towards improving educational opportunities and fostering development in the Bangsamoro region.