Special Geographic Area

Special Geographic Area
Barangays
A barangay hall in Gli-Gli in Pikit.
Territory in Cotabato province under the special geographic area of Bangsamoro
Country	Philippines
Region	Bangsamoro
Province	Cotabato (geographically only)
Municipalities	Kadayangan Kapalawan Ligawasan Malidegao Nabalawag Old Kaabakan Pahamuddin Tugunan Pre-2024 plebiscite Aleosan Carmen Kabacan Midsayap Pigcawayan Pikit (geographically only)
Area clusters	8
Barangays	63
Plebiscite of Cotabato barangays to join Bangsamoro	February 6, 2019
Turnover to Bangsamoro	November 20, 2019
Municipality creation plebicites	April 13, 2024
Government
• Body	Special Geographic Area Development Authority[1]
• Administrator	Butch Panigel Malang
Area
• Total	824.311 km2 (318.268 sq mi)
Population  (2020 census)[2]
• Total	215,433
• Density	260/km2 (680/sq mi)

The Special Geographic Area (SGA) is a loose collection of 63 barangays in six municipalities of the province of Cotabato in the Philippines. It is part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, despite the province of Cotabato itself being part of a separate neighboring region, Soccsksargen.

These barangays were partitioned from Soccsksargen following a two-part plebiscite held in January and February 2019 that formed Bangsamoro after residents of said barangays consented to their localities' inclusion in the new autonomous region. The municipalities these barangays are a part of, as well as the barangays themselves, remain part of Cotabato. These barangays could be reorganized into one or more new municipalities or merged with any of the neighboring municipalities in Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur, which are part of Bangsamoro.

The Bangsamoro regional government started effective governance over these barangays since the official turnover of these localities to the region by the Cotabato provincial government on November 20, 2019.

Some of these barangays are exclaves, which means they are entirely surrounded by localities that are not part of Bangsamoro.

History

The Philippine government organized a two-part plebiscite that concerns the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, the founding basis of the then-to-be established Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which was intended to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), and the expansion of the then-proposed Bangsamoro autonomous region to potentially include municipalities in Lanao del Norte, the cities of Isabela in Basilan and Cotabato in Maguindanao, and select barangays in Cotabato province. For the prospective barangays in Cotabato to join, voters in all of the parent municipalities also had to consent to their bid to join Bangsamoro.

Out of 67 barangays in Cotabato that were included in the plebiscite, 63 had successful bids for their inclusion in the Bangsamoro autonomous region.^[3] The four that rejected the measure are Galidan in Tulunan, Balatican in Pikit, and Pagangan and Lower Mingading in Aleosan; these four were excluded from BARMM and remained part of Soccsksargen. Meanwhile, each municipality consented to its barangays joining the BARMM. In Pikit, the most populous municipality in Cotabato, all but one barangay that voted in the plebiscite to join declined. This led to 20 barangays staying out of the BARMM out of 42. Pikit's town hall, which is located in Fort Pikit, one of the barangays that voted for inclusion, is being petitioned to be annexed by Poblacion, one of the towns that did not petition to be included.^[4]

The barangays in Aleosan and Tulunan voted in favor of their inclusion, but the majority of voters in the rest of their parent municipalities voted against the barangays' inclusion. Barangay Baltican in Pikit rejected their inclusion, while the rest of Pikit consented to the barangay's inclusion and would have been part of the new autonomous region if Baltican voters also voted for their inclusion.^[5]

Upon the effective foundation of the new Bangsamoro autonomous region, the barangays remained part of their parent municipalities. Their residents voted for municipal officials of their parent municipalities and Cotabato provincial officials in the 2019 Philippine general election.^[6] The barangays could be reorganized into one or more municipalities or merged with any of the neighboring municipalities in Maguindanao.^[7]

The full transfer of jurisdiction of the Cotabato barangays to the Bangsamoro autonomous government was ordered by Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Eduardo Año following a meeting with Bangsamoro Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim on July 8, 2019.^[8]

These barangays were still not under the effective control of Bangsamoro as of July 2019 since they were not yet officially turned over to the Bangsamoro regional government, which was initially set to occur once a local government code was passed by the Bangsamoro Parliament.^[9]

With the local government code still pending, the official turnover took place on November 20, 2019.^[10][11] The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Cotabato has passed a resolution concerning the transfer. Amidst budgetary concerns, the barangays were assured that they will still receive their internal revenue allocation directly from the Department of Budget and Management after the transfer takes place.^[12]

By March 2020, the 63 barangays had already been grouped into a special geographic area of the Bangsamoro region.^[13]

Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim issued an executive order establishing a Development Coordinating Office (DCO) led by an administrator and eight area coordinators to manage affairs in the 63 barangays in Cotabato. Mohammad Kelie Antao was appointed administrator on June 30, 2020. Jimmy Adil, Jabib Guiabar, Esmael Maguid, Duma Mascud, Ibrahim Rahman, Abdulatip Tiago, and Nayang Timan were appointed as area coordinators on the same date.^[14]

A second ceremony was held on December 15, 2020, to mark the symbolic assumption of the Bangsamoro regional government over the 63 Cotabato barangays along with Cotabato City.^[15]

On August 17, 2023, the bills consolidating the barangays into 8 municipalities were approved by the Bangsamoro Parliament.^[16] Chief Minister Ebrahim signed the bills into law (Bangsamoro Act No. 41 to 48) on September 4, 2023.^[17]

Residents in the would be eight municipalities would ratify the legislations in a plebiscite held on April 13, 2024.^[18]

Governance

The special geographic area of Bangsamoro consists of barangays that are part of Cotabato province, which is not part of the autonomous region, despite the barangays themselves being part of Bangsamoro. For the Bangsamoro region to govern the barangays, these were constituted into a single administrative area under the direct supervision of the Bangsamoro chief minister through the region's Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG). The MILG deals with the affairs of the area through the Special Geographic Area Development Authority, which is headed by an administrator appointed by the chief minister.^[1]

Subdivisions

Area clusters

The 63 barangays in the special geographic area of Bangsamoro is grouped into eight area clusters.^[19] Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

List of barangays

Barangays per municipality

2024 plebiscites

2024 Special Geographic Area plebiscites

April 13, 2024 (2024-04-13)
Plebiscite to ratify Bangsamoro Acts No. 129–136
Outcome	All bills proposing the establishment of eight municipalities ratified

Reorganization plans

In September 2019, there was a reported proposal to reorganize the Cotabato barangays into four municipalities through regional legislation and possibly annex them to the neighboring Maguindanao province. Pending the passage of the regional law, there is a plan by Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim to issue an executive order to group the barangays into eight clusters.^[22] However, such a plan to form towns from the barangays was temporarily set aside, and it was decided that an administrative body be formed to oversee the barangays' affairs.^[23]

Another proposal was to group the barangays into three municipalities instead of four. One of the proposed municipalities is Sultan Tambilawan, which is planned to consist of Midsayap's 13 barangays.^[24]

The regional government would wait for the results of the 2020 census to determine the exact barangays that would be reorganized into new towns.^[25]

On December 21, 2022, a proposal was made to group the barangays into eight municipalities.^[26][27] The proposed municipalities are Pahamuddin, Kadayangan, Nabalawag, Old Kaabakan, Kapalawan, Malidegao, Tugunan, and Ligawasan, which are created by the virtue of various Bangsamoro Autonomy Acts.

Proposed municipalities

Municipality[a]	Barangays		Parliament Bill No.	Bangsamoro Act No.	Proposed municipalities that will be created from the special geographic area of Bangsamoro:   Pahamuddin   Kadayangan   Nabalawag   Old Kaabakan   Kapalawan   Malidegao   Tugunan   Ligawasan
	Seat of government	Other barangays
Pahamuddin	Libungan Torreta	Balacayon Buricain Datu Binasing Datu Mantil Kadilingan Lower Pangangkalan Matilac Patot Upper Pangangkalan Lower Baquer Simsiman	129	41
Kadayangan	Kapinpilan	Central Labas Malingao Mudseng Sambulawan Tugal Tumbras	130	42
Nabalawag[b]	Nabalawag	Damatulan Kadigasan Kadingilan Kudarangan Olandang Dungguan	131	43
Old Kaabakan[c]	Pedtad or Nangaan	Buluan Sanggadong Simbuhay Simone Tamped	132	44
Kapalawan	Kitulaan	Kibayao Langogan Manarapan Nasapian Pebpoloan Tupig	133	45
Malidegao[d]	Gokotan	Balungis Batulawan Fort Pikit Nabundas Nalapaan Nunguan	134	46
Tugunan	Manaulanan	Balong Bualan Lagunde Macabual Macasendeg Pamalian Panicupan Tapodoc	135	47
Ligawasan	Bagoinged	Barungis Bulol Buliok Gli-Gli Kabasalan Rajamuda	136	48

Conduct of the plebiscite

The Bangsamoro government planned to hold the plebiscite for the ratification of the bills alongside the 2023 Philippine barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on October 30, 2023.^[30] However, such plan was considered impossible by the Bangsamoro office of the Commission on Elections due to time constraints.^[31][32]

The plebiscites were held on April 13, 2024.^[33] COMELEC stated that there were 89,594 registered voters covering 189 clustered precincts in 67 voting centers.^[34] The conduct of the plebiscites were declared a peaceful and orderly.^[35]

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity reported that the creation was declared ratified after the completion of canvassing at 9 pm. Reported voter turnout was 81.10%; while among the valid votes cast, 99.62% were in favor; only 27 participated voters abstained.^[18][36]

Voter turnout in a barangay in Aleosan was affected by a clan feud, while in another barangay in Pigcawayan where a former Bangsamoro Transition Authority officer resides, more than half of the voters refuse to participate.^[37]

Results

2024 Special Geographic Area plebiscites

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	72,358	99.62
No	273	0.38
Valid votes	72,631	99.96%
Invalid or blank votes	27	0.04%
Total votes	72,658	100.00
Registered voters/turnout	89,594	81.1%
Source: COMELEC[18]

External links

• Media related to Special Geographic Area (Bangsamoro) at Wikimedia Commons

Notes

References

This page was last edited on 15 April 2024, at 11:52