The enactment of Republic Act No. 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) is seen as a welcome development in the quest for peace and development in the most impoverished parts of the country where prolonged conflict has repeatedly displaced communities and prevented the delivery of essential services to the people. At the same time, it is welcomed by some advocates of federalism who see in the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) an example of how a federal system of government could work in the Philippines. While current discussions on federalism have tended to dwell on principles and general statements about what it promises to accomplish, Filipinos could find in the BOL and its implementation a concrete example of how a federal setup might work from the perspective of one sub-state. Although federalism can take many forms and the BOL represents only one possible model, delving into the operational details of the BARMM could offer insights into the merits as well as challenges of a federal system before Filipinos decide on whether or not the entire country should make the shift to this new form of government.
This issue of the Intersect Quick Facts presents basic information on what the new law contains and the changes the law will bring to the governance of the BARMM. Click the image to view and download.