COTABATO CITY(January 22) — The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is increasingly being seen as an emerging investment destination, with regional leaders pointing to political stability, unified governance, and sustained national government support as the foundations of growing investor confidence.
Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua said the national government’s respect for Bangsamoro autonomy has been crucial in creating a stable environment for long-term investments, as the region rolled out its 2026 governance and development agenda during the 7th BARMM Foundation Anniversary.
Speaking before Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Cabinet officials, and regional leaders, Macacua emphasized that BARMM’s autonomy operates firmly within the Philippine Constitution and the peace framework—an assurance, he said, that matters deeply to investors weighing long-term commitments.
“This administration will not prevent the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro — we support and protect it,” Macacua said, signaling policy continuity and alignment with the national peace process.
That alignment, regional officials say, is translating into concrete economic signals. In 2025, the Bangsamoro government attracted nearly ₱5 billion in investments, completed more than 500 infrastructure projects, expanded health and social protection services, generated employment for thousands of youth, and strengthened justice and peace mechanisms.
These gains, officials note, are reshaping investor perceptions of BARMM.
Political stability backed by Manila has reduced policy risk, while what Macacua described as an unprecedented unity across the Bangsamoro Parliament, provincial governors, mayors, and regional ministries has streamlined decision-making and project implementation. For investors, this coherence lowers uncertainty and shortens timelines.
The expanding public investment base—particularly in roads, public facilities, and basic services—has also improved market access across the region. Combined with improved security conditions, these developments are widening consumer markets and reducing the cost of doing business, especially in communities long affected by conflict.
Regional planners say attention is now turning to high-upside sectors such as agriculture, halal industries, construction, energy, education, and health services—areas that remain underdeveloped but are seen as key growth drivers.
Looking ahead, Macacua said the Bangsamoro government will scale up—not shift—its development direction in 2026 under the Mas Matatag na Bangsamoro Agenda, committing billions of pesos to governance reform, economic development, education, health, housing, infrastructure, peacebuilding, and faith-based programs.
He stressed that sustained coordination with the national government, paired with accountable regional leadership, is essential to ensuring that peace dividends translate into inclusive and resilient growth.
As BARMM enters its seventh year, regional leaders say the focus is now firmly on converting stability into sustained capital inflows—positioning autonomy not as a political experiment, but as a working economic model for Mindanao’s future.
