ARMM:Autonomous

Region of Muslim

Mindanao

INTRODUCTION

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is one of the regions of the Philippines. The region was first created on August 1, 1989 through Republic Act No. 6734 otherwise known as the Organic Act.

ARMM was established pursuant to a constitutional mandate to provide for an autonomous area in Muslim Mindanao. It was officially inaugurated on November 6, 1990 in Cotabato City.

It is composed of five predominantly Muslim provinces, namely: Basilan (except Isabela City), Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. It is the only region that has its own government. The regional capital is at Cotabato City, although this city is outside of its jurisdiction.

The ARMM previously included the province of Shariff Kabunsuan until 16 July 2008, when Shariff Kabunsuan ceased to exist as a province after the Supreme Court of the Philippines declared the "Muslim Mindanao Autonomy Act 201", which created it, unconstitutional in Sema vs. Comelec.

On October 7, 2012, President Benigno Aquino III said that the government aimed to have peace in the autonomous region and that it will become known as "Bangsamoro".

ARMM is headed by a Regional Governor who acts as the chief executive of the regional government. He has control of all regional executive commissions, agencies, boards, bureaus and offices. He is assisted by a cabinet not exceeding 10 members.

The Regional Governor and Vice-Governor are elected directly like regular local executives and they have a fixed term of three years but can be extended by an act of Congress. Republic Act No. 9054 provides that ARMM “shall remain an integral and inseparable part of the national territory of the Republic.”

HistoryFor the most part of Philippines' history,

the region and most of Mindanao have been a separate territory, which enabled it to develop its own culture and identity.

The region has been the traditional homeland of Muslim Filipinos since the 15th century, even before the arrival of the Spanish who began to colonize most of the Philippines in 1565.

In 1942, during the early stages of Pacific War of the Second World War, troops of the Japanese Imperial Forces invaded and overran Mindanao. Three years later, in 1945, combined United States and Philippine Commonwealth Army troops liberated Mindanao, and with the help of local guerrilla units ultimately defeated the Japanese forces occupying the region.

On October 15, 2012, the historic preliminary agreement was signed by Government's chief negotiator Marvic Leonen, MILF Peace Panel Chair MohagherIqbal, and Malaysian facilitator TengkuDato’ AbGhafarTengku Mohamed along with President Aquino, Prime Minister NajibRazak of Malaysia, Chairman Al Haj MuradEbrahim of the MILF, and Secretary-General Ekmeleddinİhsanoğlu of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation at the Malacañang Palace in Manila.

This document outlines general agreements on major issues, including the extent of power, revenues and territory granted for the new Muslim autonomous region.

The Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro was signed at Malacañang in March 27, 2014 as witnessed by leaders and members of MILF and the Philippine government, as well as by Malaysian Prime Minister NajibRazak, whose country served as the third-party negotiator in the peace talks.

EconomyThe region is one of the most

impoverished areas in the Philippines. It has a per capita gross regional domestic product of only PhP3,433 in 2005, 75.8 percent lower than the national average of PhP14,186.

It is the lowest among the Philippines' 17 regions; the second lowest region has a per capita income almost double the ARMM's. ARMM has a population of 4.1 million based on the 2007 census. It is the country's poorest region, where average annual income was just 89,000 pesos

($ 2,025) in 2006, less than 1/3 of Manila level.

Cultural HeritageThe native Maguindanaon and

other native Muslim/non-Muslim groups have a culture that revolves around Kulintang music, a specific type of gong music, found among both Muslim and non-Muslim groups of the Southern Philippines.

IMPORTANT LITERARY PIECES

The Second CreationHow the Angels Built

Lake LanaoPilandok Crosses a River

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