NEWS
5September
Photo courtesy of OPAPRU
Historic Hajj Accord signed as IGRB convenes 23rd meeting in Manila
- Sep 5, 2025
- Taher G. Solaiman
- HITS: 927
The historic agreement between the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) and the Bangsamoro Pilgrimage Authority (BPA) officially empowers the Bangsamoro's interim government to assume a direct role in managing the sacred Islamic pilgrimage for its constituents. This accord, set to take effect for the 2026 Hajj, marks a powerful symbol of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao's (BARMM) expanding autonomy as enshrined in the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).
?The IGRB, which serves as a crucial mechanism for coordinating and resolving issues between the national and Bangsamoro governments, also made progress on several other critical matters during the meeting. Discussions focused on tangible outcomes and specific deadlines for key issues, including:
- ?Sulu's Transition: Addressing the path forward for the transition in Sulu.
- ?4Ps Worker Employment: The conversion of roles for workers under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to secure regular employment.
?- Integration of MILF and MNLF: The integration of members from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) into the Philippine National Police (PNP).
?The IGRB is a high-level body composed of representatives from both the National Government and the Bangsamoro Government. It is co-chaired by Secretary Amenah Pangandaman of the Department of Budget and Management on the part of the National Government and Minister Mohagher Iqbal of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education
(MBHTE) on the side of the Bangsamoro Government.
?The body's membership includes:
?From the National Government: Secretaries of key departments such as Finance, the Interior and Local Government, National Defense, Public Works and Highways, Energy, Agriculture, Transportation, and Socioeconomic Planning, along with the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity.
?From the Bangsamoro Government: Ministers from various ministries including Basic, Higher, and Technical Education, the Interior and Local Government, Public Works, Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy, Social Services and Development, Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform, and Transportation and Communications. The Speaker of the Bangsamoro Parliament and the Bangsamoro Cabinet Secretary also serve as members.
?Created under Section 2, Article VI of the BOL, the IGRB is mandated to facilitate regular consultation and negotiation to resolve intergovernmental issues in a non-adversarial manner, ensuring the effective implementation of the peace process and sustained development in the Bangsamoro region.
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