COTABATO CITY (September 26) – Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has signed into law a bill that recognizes the exemplary leadership first espoused by Sheik Hashim Salamat, the founding chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), according to a regional lawmaker.
Member of the BARMM Parliament Naguib Sinarimbo, the main author of the “Salamat Excellence Award for Leadership (SEAL) Act of 2025,” praised Macacua for enacting his measure on Wednesday. The act primarily recognizes leaders who have demonstrated exceptional leadership abilities in governing the region.
“The SEAL program is the highest leadership award that recognizes exemplary leaders in the Bangsamoro region,” Sinarimbo added in a statement.
On third and final reading on August 20, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, the BARMM’s interim lawmaking body, voted 39-1-0 to pass BTA Bill No. 355, also known as the SEAL Act of 2025.
“Based on my research, Sheik Salamat has three leadership styles that every Bangsamoro leader should emulate: accountable leadership, participatory leadership, and service-oriented leadership,” Sinarimbo explained.
Sinarimbo stated that the measure would be supported by a PHP20-million development grant given to the region’s top-performing local chief executive each year.
