Marcos confirms Sept. 14, 2026 date for first BARMM parliamentary polls

DATU ODIN SINSUAT, MAGUINDANAO DEL NORTE  (July 24)  — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday confirmed that the first regular parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will be held on Sept. 14, 2026, ending uncertainty over the long-delayed vote.

Marcos announced the new election schedule during the “Bawat Bayan Makikinabang” and Bangsamoro Government Convergence Program at the Philippine Army headquarters here.

The President said amendments to the Bangsamoro Organic Law were enacted following the Supreme Court’s ruling on the territorial composition of the autonomous region, paving the way for the rescheduled elections.

“These provide the necessary legal and administrative adjustments to ensure an orderly, credible, and inclusive electoral process,” Marcos said.

He said holding the vote on the second Monday of September is part of the administration’s effort to finally establish a duly elected parliament in the Bangsamoro region.

The new schedule gives the BARMM government and election authorities additional time to implement the Supreme Court ruling while ensuring the region’s autonomous government can transition to an elected parliamentary system.

Sulu’s exclusion reshaped election timeline

The changes stem from the Supreme Court decision declaring the inclusion of Sulu in BARMM unconstitutional.

Sulu voters rejected the Bangsamoro Organic Law, or Republic Act 11054, during the 2019 plebiscite. The province was subsequently excluded from the autonomous region, prompting legal and administrative adjustments to the BARMM’s territorial and electoral framework.

Under the amended Bangsamoro Organic Law, the first regular parliamentary elections are now set for Sept. 14, 2026.

Starting in 2031, regular parliamentary elections will be synchronized with the national and local elections, to be held every three years on the second Monday of May.

The first regular BARMM elections had earlier been postponed under Republic Act 11593, signed in October 2021 by then-President Rodrigo Duterte. The law extended the transition period to give the Bangsamoro Transition Authority more time to carry out its normalization and transition mandates.

The 2026 polls will mark a major milestone in the region’s transition from an interim government to a fully elected parliamentary administration.

Aid turnover highlights national-BARMM ties

During Wednesday’s event, Marcos also led the turnover of financial assistance from the Socio-Civic Projects Fund to the Cotabato City government and BARMM provincial governments.

Assistance packages were likewise distributed to Bangsamoro ministries, offices and agencies.

Malacañang said the convergence program underscored the administration’s effort to strengthen cooperation between the national government and the Bangsamoro regional leadership as the autonomous region prepares for its historic first parliamentary elections.

For BARMM voters, the Sept. 14 polls will be more than another election date. They will be the first opportunity to elect the parliament that will shape the region’s next chapter of self-governance.