COTABATO CITY – The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has created the Development Coordinating Office (DCO) to administer the 63 barangays in North Cotabato that are now part of the fledging expanded region.
BARMM Chief Minister Ahod “Murad” Ebrahim also appointed eight DCO-BARMM officials who took their oath at the Bangsamoro regional center here Tuesday to manage the affairs of the 63 villages.
“This embarks our plans in development programs in the area,” Ebrahim said, noting that the conduct of the oath-taking was delayed due to the current coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
Mohammad Kelie Antao was appointed DCO-BARMM administrator with Jimmy Adil, Jabib Guiabar, Esmael Maguid, Duma Mascud, Ibrahim Rahman, Abdulatip Tiago, and Nayang Timan as area coordinators.
“We will work hard to ensure we are instrumental in our government’s call for moral governance,” Antao told reporters here following the ceremony.
Also present were BARMM Executive Secretary Abdulraof Macacua who facilitated the ceremony, and BARMM’s Ministry of Interior and Local Government (MILG) Minister Naguib Sinarimbo, who would supervise the newly created DCO office.
The 63 villages in six towns of North Cotabato were included in the BARMM after voting “yes” during the plebiscite held on Feb. 6, 2019, for inclusion in the new region that would replace the decades-old Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The DCO-BARMM was established through an executive order issued by the Office of the Chief Minister last January 27, which stated that it will be the primary office for the planning and implementation of programs, projects, and activities of BARMM ministries and offices in the North Cotabato villages.
The body will be composed of the offices of the administrator, eight area coordinators, and support staff.
Sinarimbo said the MILG will assign a municipal local government operations officer for the area and the BARMM ministries and head of agencies can also designate staff members from their offices. (PNA)
