OMM Redaksiyası
Voters in the southern Philippines are casting ballots in a historic election that could influence the future of one of the country’s longest-running conflict zones. More than 2.3 million registered voters are expected to participate in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
This is the first parliamentary election since the autonomous region was established in 2019 and is considered a major milestone in a peace process that has lasted more than a decade. The vote is intended to complete the transition from an interim administration to an elected government.
What is the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region?
BARMM is a self-governing region in the southern Philippines. Its territory includes parts of Mindanao island, as well as Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato City and the Special Geographic Area in North Cotabato.
The region has a population of about 4.5 million and is predominantly Muslim. This distinguishes it from other parts of the Philippines, where most residents are Christian. BARMM was established after voters approved greater autonomy in a 2019 referendum.
How was the autonomy established?
The creation of BARMM followed a separatist conflict that lasted for decades. In 2014, the Philippine government signed a peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the country’s largest Muslim separatist movement.
More than 120,000 people were killed and about 2 million were displaced during decades of fighting. The peace agreement envisaged a new autonomous government for the predominantly Muslim south. Its provisions were enacted into law in 2018, and voters approved the legislation by a large majority in a plebiscite a year later.
What will voters decide?
BARMM is the only region in the Philippines governed under a parliamentary system. Voters are electing an 80-member regional parliament.
- 40 seats are allocated to party representatives through proportional representation;
- 32 seats are designated for district representatives;
- 8 seats are reserved for sectoral representatives.
The parliament will then elect a chief minister to lead the region’s executive branch. The election therefore goes beyond choosing individual lawmakers; it will also determine who controls the region’s first elected government under the new system.
Significance for the peace process
Despite the peace process helping reduce violence, major security and development challenges remain. In 2017, militants linked to Islamic State seized parts of the city of Marawi. The five-month battle was the Philippines’ most serious urban conflict since World War II.
BARMM has also shown signs of economic growth. The region’s economy expanded by 5 percent in 2025, up from 3.5 percent the previous year and above the Philippines’ national growth rate of 4.4 percent. Nevertheless, the region remains one of the country’s poorest areas.
Agriculture, fishing, marine resources, energy and mineral deposits could create new jobs and investment opportunities if stability is maintained. For residents, however, the success of autonomy will be measured by whether it delivers better public services, employment and security in everyday life.
Former Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters, rival groups that emerged after the peace process and influential political clans are competing in the election. The result could show how power will be distributed among these forces and whether the new political system can preserve the fragile peace.
The election is being held after several delays, and officials hope turnout will reach at least 80 percent. A peaceful and credible vote could strengthen the idea of autonomy and give the region’s new institutions democratic legitimacy.
The main test, however, will begin after the ballots are counted. The new government will have to translate political autonomy into better public services, jobs and security. The Bangsamoro election will therefore determine not only who occupies the 80 parliamentary seats, but also whether decades of conflict can be replaced by stable and sustainable self-government.
