COTABATO CITY– The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament has taken significant steps to boost inter-island connectivity and digital infrastructure, while also reopening critical discussions on the reconfiguration of the region's parliamentary districts.

On July 30, the Parliament’s Committee on Transportation and Communications concluded a two-day meeting, adopting 12 resolutions aimed at improving travel and digital services across the region. Key among these is a call for the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), Ministry of Trade, Investments, and Tourism (MTIT), and the Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA) to conduct feasibility studies for expanding commercial sea and air routes connecting Sulu and Zamboanga City.

The committee also addressed pressing maritime travel concerns, urging agencies to tackle vessel shortages and establish a new Zamboanga–Luuk sea route. Deputy Speaker Don Mustapha Loong advocated for an online ticketing system for Zamboanga–Jolo passenger boats, emphasizing its potential to combat "fixers" and promote good governance.

In the realm of digital services, the committee supported the procurement of Starlink internet for remote field offices, the full implementation of free public Wi-Fi under RA 10929, and the establishment of robust cybersecurity protocols for BARMM’s digital platforms. Committee Chairperson Zulfikar-Ali Bayam stated that the panel would collaborate with relevant agencies to refine the measures before forwarding their report to the plenary.

Meanwhile, a crucial discussion on the proposed reconfiguration of the region’s 32 parliamentary districts resumed on Thursday, July 31. The Parliament’s Committee on Amendments, Revision, and Codification of Laws (CARCL) and Committee on Local Government (CLG) reopened deliberations on Parliament Bill No. 351, authored by the Government of the Day.

The bill, which had previously been approved at the committee level and reached the plenary, was referred back for further review following the release of the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) 2024 census. The original bill was based on a population figure of 3.9 million. 

However, the latest PSA report indicates a population of 5.6 million. After excluding Sulu, which the Supreme Court recently ruled is no longer part of BARMM, the region's population stands at approximately 4.5 million.

Under Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 58, parliamentary districts are to be apportioned based on a minimum of 100,000 residents and geographical considerations. Committee chairs underscored that there is no intention to delay the bill's passage but stressed the necessity of carefully studying how the updated population data might impact district boundaries and equitable representation.

The meeting was suspended to allow lawmakers time to thoroughly review the 2024 PSA data and assess its implications for the proposed district reconfiguration. Deliberations are scheduled to resume on Friday, August 1.