Category: News and Events

PRLS, in collaboration with MILG, conducts Virtual Talk in honor of the 3rd Bangsamoro Foundation Day

In commemoration of the 3rd Bangsamoro Foundation Day, the BARMM Parliament’s Policy Research and  Legal Services (PRLS), in partnership with the Ministry of Interior and Local Government (MILG) will be conducting a series of talks on “Moral Governance on BARMM’s Fiscal and Local Autonomy,” on January 19, 2022, 8:00 A.M.

Below are the abstracts and bio-notes of the speakers:

  • Nassef Manabilang Adiong, PhD – With more than 50 academic publications, 25 academic grants, 21 awards (UP Scientist, Bangsamoro Parliament’s commendation, UP Centennial Professorial Chair, PUP Professorial Chair, The Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines, among others), 14 scholarships, 6 fellowships, 6 consultancies, and numerous researches, Dr Nassef Manabilang Adiong is quite befitting in his current role as the Director of the Bangsamoro Parliament’s Policy Research and Legal Services (PRLS). Shepherding towards reforms in the political economy of world’s knowledge systems conveniently lenient to Western canons, he founded three research organizations, five book series, and one scholarly journal to provide impetus to marginalized plurality of intellectual voices. His recognition extends beyond the Philippine soil as he was elected as member-at-large officer at ISA Asia-Pacific Region in 2021, governing board officer at the World International Studies Committee in 2020, and Asia representative at the ISA Global South Caucus in 2018. For details, proceed to https://nassef.info/.

Topic: A talk on Moral Governance

Abstract: Governance has been at the fulcrum of the Bangsamoro’s leadership. Whether it has been—or can yet be—good or moral governance is the question at hand. The discussion of good governance precedes that of moral governance in this article, with the former describing a modern-secular form of good governance as defined by international and multilateral organizations, while the latter propounds the idea of an Islamic-rooted moral governance. The new BARMM autonomous government is the opportunity for the Bangsamoro people to chart up their future in accordance with their distinct beliefs, culture, and aspirations, a shift from the struggle into fighting against oppression, corruption, discrimination, and other malpractices that are worsening the situation of the Bangsamoro people. Its leadership is determined to lead and manage the Moro society based on “moral governance.” However, it is difficult to understand what moral governance means. By using an exploratory design to frame research as inquiry and gain insights on moral governance as the BARMM’s agendum, the research navigated and conceptualized the meaning of moral governance based on a proposed framework that constitutes five immutable principles: Faith, Freedom, Moral Authority, Common Good, and Social Ethics. By constituting these interrelated principles that will map the framework towards practice, within the distinct historical and faith context of Muslim Philippines, an authentic Bangsamoro leadership is envisaged as a tolerant society to various Muslim groups and non-Muslim communities—Christians and Indigenous Peoples in particular. Consequently, the juxtaposed comparison of the ARMM and the BARMM will, in effect, highlight the tasks that were not successfully or satisfactorily implemented by the ARMM. These are areas where the BARMM can build its introductory steps to come up to the challenges of moral governance.

  • Atty. Sha Elijah B. Dumama-Alba – She is the Bangsamoro Attorney General of the BARMM. She is co-Head of the Joint Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Relations Body. She took up BA in Public Administration at UP Diliman and finished her Law degree at San Beda Mendiola in 2007. She was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2008. Atty. Alba is an Asia Foundation Development Fellow alumna. She was part of the 2019 Obama Leaders Class in Asia and Tatler Asia’s Gen.T List 2020 Leaders of Tomorrow. She is also an Asia Peace Innovators Fellow 2020. She placed 3rd in the Special Shariah Bar Examinations in 2018. She served as Deputy Executive Director of the  Bangsamoro Transition Commission, and Attorney VI of the Civil Service Commission – ARMM before being appointed Attorney General in 2019.

Topic: The Intergovernmental Relations Between the National and the Bangsamoro Government

Abstract: Intergovernmental relations (IGR) are critical for the effective and efficient service delivery by governments, as an important component of any political system with more than one level of government. The IGRB is a mechanism created for the national government and the Bangsamoro Government (BG) to coordinate and resolve issues on intergovernmental relations through regular consultation and continuing negotiation in a non-adversarial manner. With powers granted to the BG under the Bangsamoro Organic Law, discussions on the exercise of these powers by the BG are undertaken at the IGRB level. BARMM ministries and their counterpart national agencies directly engage with each other to cooperate and coordinate on matters that involve simultaneous exercise of these powers. In an effort to lay the foundation for IGR in the Bangsamoro context, the Bangsamoro Administrative Code outlines the principles of cooperative government and IGR, namely: (a) Observing mutual respect between the different levels of government; (b) Maintaining an ethos of interdependence; and (c) Providing a platform for civic participation. How these principles are gradually being established towards marshalling coordinated service delivery of governments is an ongoing endeavor that makes IGR not an end by itself, but a means to democratize institutions, address imbalance, and extend services to all.

  • Mr. Vincent Casil, MA – He is the Officer-in-Charge/Chief of the Legislative Research Division under the Bangsamoro Parliament’s Policy Research and Legal Services. He is a China-ASEAN University Network’s Ph.D. scholar at Guangxi University, China, and a doctoral student in Philippine Studies at the University of the Philippines. His works explore the questions of political economy and its intersection with the development of democracy in the Bangsamoro region. As an academic, He has taught at Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle–College of St. Benilde, Lyceum of the Philippines University, and Philippine Christian University, and has supervised policy-related studies with the City of Malabon. His recent publication is on Merit-based Recruitment: Exploration of the Concept of Merit in the Bangsamoro (2021), where he enriched the notion of merit-based hiring in view of the principles of faith, freedom, moral authority, common good, and social ethics.

Topic: Devolution and the Bangsamoro: its Issues and Challenges

Abstract: The Mandanas-Garcia Supreme court ruling implies that greater resources shall be given to Local Government Units (LGUs). As a result, larger political roles are seen in the LGUs, which may be in need to be clarified to smoothen its relation with the National Government. Such a task of devolving political functions in LGUs is further made difficult in the Bangsamoro context, as the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), which established BARMM as a political unit, lacks clear articulation on how these powers will be decentralized to region’s LGUs, which are still operating under 1991 Local Government Code. Noting the issue, the paper further highlights other critical problems latent in the process of devolution by surveying significant experiences of governments of other countries that have shared the same experience where its national government has devolved some of its power to its local units. From this comprehensive grasp of critical issues of devolution, BARMM could draw key lessons and concepts that could be used to craft a sound framework to materialize the Mandanas-Garcia ruling in the region. 

    Policy Note 1: “On the Production of Educational Materials tailored to the needs of the Bangsamoro People”

    On the Production of Educational Materials tailored to the needs of the Bangsamoro People

    Authored by Vincent L. Casil

    Education plays a key role in building communities. It develops the population into skilled and knowledgeable citizens, integral for a well-functioning society. In the Bangsamoro context, education is not only an institution that trains its citizens to learn various skills. More than its practical functions, it also has a humanistic task of shaping its people’s sense-making on social issues, history, and identity. This goal could be achieved by introducing the relevant materials that explore the Bangsamoro conditions so that the students could have a meaningful understanding of the region’s social, historical, and cultural setting. However, such a crucial task could not be achieved if there is a scarcity of educational materials that embodies the unique Bangsamoro experience and worldview. Without the necessary materials, the aspiration for a more developed and just Bangsamoro society that can authentically determine its fate is hardly achievable.

    Policy Note 1Download

    PRLS conducts Seminar-Workshop on Legislative Analysis and Research

    Strengthening personnel capacity for legislative analysis and research, BARMM’s Policy Research and Legal Services (PRLS), in close cooperation with SUBATRA (Support for Bangsamoro Transition), conducted a seminar-workshop on Legislative Analysis and Research on 01-03 of December 2021. Alongside PRLS personnel, some members of the various offices under the parliament also attended the said event.

    Speakers of various expertise from both SUBATRA and PRLS’s list of consultants and fellows lead the seminar-workshop. Aside from lectures, a handful of activities were also conducted for the participants to practice the skills taught from the lectures.

    The PRLS extends its gratitude to all participants and resource speakers who took part in the success of the event.

    SUBATRA Consultants for PRLS

    The European Union is inclined to support the transition through the program called SUBATRA (Support to Bangsamoro Transition). Its purpose is to contribute to a smooth and timely undertaking of the transition through capacity building of the Bangsamoro Government so as to promote an enabling good governance environment with a focus placed on capacities that are critical for a sound functioning of interim institutions:

     Capacity of the BTA’s executive branch superstructure to impulse and coordinate key transitional policies and capacity of governance line ministries to deliver basic services (Output 1);

     Capacity of the Parliament to exercise its law making, oversight functions and representation functions (Output 2);

     Capacity of the Justice System to adjudicate litigations and improve access to justice (Output 3); and

     Capacity of the civil society to contribute to a peaceful transition (Output 4).

    To support a peaceful transition to a democratic and inclusive Bangsamoro, SUBATRA will contribute to an enabling framework, deepening of critical capacities, strengthening of norms and practices and greater voice and empowerment of those left behind, especially women and indigenous peoples. Towards this end, SUBATRA under Output 2 shall focus its support on the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament in the development of its institutional capacity, and its capacity in the performance of the lawmaking, oversight, and representation functions. In addition, SUBATRA is also aimed to support the BTA Parliament in providing technical support for the passage of vital legal instruments and codes that will ultimately serve as the institutional foundations of the Bangsamoro.

    As envisaged in SUBATRA’s result 2.4 BP’s legislative and technical support services, the legislative and technical support can be done through the capacity development of the Parliament’s Policy Research and Legal Services (PRLS). Thus, the role of the consultant shall play a critical task in developing the capacity of the PRLS and its staff on research and writing policy papers. The consultant shall also be tasked to conduct trainings as regards to the tools and techniques on their field of expertise in research and policy studies.

    Distinguished Consultants for PRLS under the SUBATRA program

    Associate Professor Dr Melanie Reyes has been with the women’s movement(s) for more than 20 years. She is a Board Officer of the Women and Gender Studies Association of the Philippines (WSAP) and member of the National Gender Resource Pool of the Philippine Commission on Women providing technical assistance through capacity building on gender concerns to national government agencies, educational institutions, and local government units. She has coordinated several projects such as the Regional Program to Promote Gender Equality in Political Participation in the Philippines with AECID and the two phases of the Women, Peace, and Security Project with USAID and USDS as the Gender and Development Head of the Women and Gender Institute (WAGI). She has conducted research on migration, women’s political participation, trafficking of women and children, sexual and reproductive rights, gender and climate change with such groups as UN Women, UNICEF Philippines, ARROW Malaysia, Oxfam Philippines, and the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Women and Children. She holds a Doctoral Degree in Social Development from the University of the Philippines and a Master in Public Administration from the same university. She obtained her BA in International Studies at Miriam College. Currently, she is the Chairperson of the Department of International Studies at Miriam College. She is also a part-time lecturer at the University of the Philippines Open University teaching Women and Development Research.

    Attorney Algamar A. Latiph has nearly 21 years progressive career as government lawyer, public administrator, and government consultant. Of these experience, 15 years were as government lawyer and public administrator including as Chairperson of the Regional Human Rights Commission of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (now Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission). The remaining 6 years is as consultant to high-level public officials in the ARMM and BARMM. For more than 10 years (June 2002 to Nov 2012) as Government Corporate Attorney at the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel his duties were: (a) supervising legal departments of government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs); (b) draft and prepare legal opinions; (c) review GOCCs contracts; (d) draft legal memorandum for the GOCCs; (f) prepare administrative rules of GOCCs; (g) arbitration and mediation of GOCCs; and (h) legal representation. When he became Chairperson of the RHRC (September 2013 to June 2016), he acquired in-deep knowledge and experience in public administration and policy issues in the BARMM. He successfully implemented grants and projects from European Union, United Nations Development Program, Australian Aid (now Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees, and United Nations-Women, to name a few. After his work in the RHRC in 2015, for the past 6 years, he was engaged as consultant to various key executive, policymakers, and agencies in the BARMM on governance, public administration, legislation, and civil service. More than 3 years of which is consultant to the Regional Governor of the ARMM (now Chief Minister) and 4 years consultancy of the President of the Mindanao State University. In the BARMM, Atty. Latiph was engaged by then RHRC, and drafted a bill, namely: Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission Bill which later became Bangsamoro Autonomous Act No. 04—the first office to be established by BARMM. He also drafted the Bangsamoro Sports Commission Bill passed into law by the Parliament. Before the Bangsamoro Organic Law was enacted he was engaged (March 2018 to August 2018) by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process providing legal advice and other substantive inputs on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. He also conducted legal research on issues relevant to the BBL. He was engaged by the two Members of the Parliament to reviewed and suggested improvements in the draft Bangsamoro Administrative Code, Bangsamoro Civil Service Code, and Bangsamoro Education Code. Apart from the foregoing professional experience, Mr. Latiph is familiar with the context as well as network and familiarity with its incumbent executives, legislators, policymakers, and officials of then BTA as well as civil society organizations within the BARMM.

    Mr Assad L. Abdullah Baunto is a respected economist having worked on the policy nexus of development and conflict for 18 years. He served as the Assistant Regional Director of Regional Planning and Development in the ARMM in 2017 until the political transition, and with various local government units and international organizations previously. Assad was a research fellow in monetary and financial economics at Laboratoire d’Analyse et de Prospective Économique in France in 2007. He studied economics with specialization in industry and technology, and economics of education at the University of Oxford (2005), and at University of the Philippines (2002, 2001, and 1998).

    Associate Professor Almahdi “Aldean” Alonto has worked with the various international humanitarian agencies, non-governmental organisations and government agencies. He has served as Special Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor for Research and Extension and was Assistant Professor IV of history department at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City. Mr. Alonto obtained his M.A Degree in Conflict Resolution at the University of the Bradford as Chevening Scholar under the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office sponsorship and was a recipient of Oxford Muntada fellowship at the University of Oxford Islamic Studies. He holds M.A. in Asian Studies at the University of the Philippines, Diliman where he also finished his B.A in History. In addition, he has delivered a lecture on “Understanding the Dynamics of Conflict: A Case Study of Mindanao” at the Northern Illinois University Inter-ethnic Dialogue and Conflict Resolution and co-authored an article on “Intra-faith Dialogue: The Missing Link in inter-faith Dialogue” published by Chicago State University in 2007. Former lecturer at the De La Salle University History Department and taught in Libya for 9 years at the University of Misurata, Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Education. He is currently an Associate Professor at the History Department, of MSU main campus.

    The four senior consultants are tasked to do workshop lectures and write policy papers linked to their field of expertise significantly relevant to the Bangsamoro. While Atty. Latiph will create a Bill Drafting Manual.

    Virtual Talk on Transitional Justice in BARMM

    The Bangsamoro Policy Research and Legal Services will be holding – via Zoom – a virtual talk on “Understanding Mechanism and Strategies to Deal with the Past in Times of Transition,” on December 6, 2021, 9 AM to 12 noon, Philippine Standard Time (GMT +8).

    The event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. To register, please sign up here: https://forms.gle/aFUuPwcPtWwodef78

    Abstract

    Understanding Mechanism and Strategies to Deal with the Past in Times of Transition

    Questions of how to deal with past human rights abuses, conflict, mass atrocity, and authoritarian rule are of continued relevance in the context of a wide range of societies in transition, whether from conflict to peace, or transitions from authoritarianism. This interactive lecture will provide participants with an introduction to the practice of transitional justice and will introduce students to transitional justice dilemmas through an exploration of a number of geographically diverse case studies. The presentation will also introduce participants to a wide range of transitional justice mechanisms such as criminal trials and truth commissions. Topics explored will also include transitional justice and the politics of memory, reconciliation, and peacebuilding.

    About the Speakers