Map of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in relation to Mindanao. BARMM comprises the provinces of Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur and Lanao del Sur in the mainland and the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi, the cities of Marawi, Lamitan and Cotabato and 63 villages in six North Cotabato towns that voted for inclusion in the BARMM in February 2019. Map courtesy of the BARMM website.
COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 7 July) — The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the Department of Energy (DOE) signed Thursday in Malacanang, the Intergovernmental Energy Board circular on the joint award of petroleum service and coal operating contracts in the region.
The move seeks to encourage local and foreign investors to actively participate in the exploration and development of the region’s energy resources.
It aims to make the region, with its vast and untapped energy sources, as the next energy resource hub in the Philippines amid the looming power crisis all over the country.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who witnessed the signing, described it as the “beginning of that fulfillment of a promise” for Mindanao, which experienced armed conflicts in the previous decades amid the presence of rich biodiversity and natural resources.
“Considering the challenges of the depleting Malampaya reservoir and volatile fossil fuel prices, it is crucial to take decisive action, reigniting petroleum exploration, and fostering the development of indigenous energy resources,” Marcos said.
“The unwavering commitment of the Government of the Philippines and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region to work together to sustain the dividends of the peace process marks a new age of development for the Bangsamoro people at the time when we are sailing across the transition,” Ahod “Murad” Ebrahim, BARMM Chief Minister, said during his speech in Malacanang.
“Indeed, your service in materializing this blueprint in the energy sector is a very important step in transforming the lives of all Bangsamoro. As you are all aware, this undertaking is part of the 12-point priority agenda of the government of the day in ensuring that there is adequate, clean, environmentally friendly, and secured energy across the Bangsamoro,” he added.
“This is a milestone in the realization of the Bangsamoro rights to have substantial control and benefit over resources in the Bangsamoro,” according to lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo, BARMM Minister of the Interior and Local Government.
The Bangsamoro Law allows the national and Bangsamoro governments to jointly grant rights, privileges, and concessions for the exploration, development, and utilization of uranium and fossil fuels in the region.
In his speech during the event, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said the signing of the energy contracts is another move towards the development of Mindanao.
“This is an important step towards progress in Mindanao, and possibly the establishment of another energy resource center in the Philippines,” Lotilla said.
“I am optimistic that the strong collaborative relationship between the DOE (Department of Energy) and MENRE (Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Energy) will continue as we move forward with the implementation of this joint circular,” the DOE chief added.
Lotilla said the circular will empower the national and Bangsamoro agencies to jointly grant rights, and concessions for the development and utilization of indigenous and conventional energy sources within the region’s jurisdiction.
“By clarifying the legal framework, the Circular allows the region to leverage its energy resources and attract investments,” he pointed out.
Lotilla told the President that the next priority is the upgrading of electricity infrastructure and services in the BARMM provinces.
“We are confident that as you pursue your diplomatic initiatives in the energy capitals of the Middle East, the energy development needs of the BARMM will form part of your agenda. We commit ourselves to work towards the success of energy development in the BARMM, and in the rest of the Philippines under your leadership,” Lotilla assured.
“This collaborative endeavor stands as an unwavering testament to our firm commitment to unify and to to unity, and to our unwavering cooperation with BARMM as we unlock the vast and untapped potential of the region,” Marcos said. (Ferdinand Cabrera/MindaNews)
