Workers face unemployment after Sulu transfers administrative jurisdiction from BARMM to Zamboanga region, impacting more than 5,000 employees.
Sulu's Transition Away from BARMM: Implications for Government Workers and Development
Sulu's shift from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to the Zamboanga Peninsula region (Region IX) has significant implications for the province's finances, government workers, and development trajectory.
Since the Supreme Court's ruling in September 2024, Sulu is no longer legally part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) due to its majority rejection of the Bangsamoro Organic Law in the 2019 plebiscite. As a result, Sulu no longer benefits directly from BARMM's fiscal autonomy and block grants.
The loss of BARMM block grants, which amounted to over P337.5 billion from 2020 to 2024, and the special fiscal autonomy, will have a substantial impact on Sulu's budgetary allocations, regional development programs, and governance revenue streams. The province will now depend on the regular internal revenue allotment (IRA) distributed to provinces under Region IX jurisdiction.
The realignment under Region IX budget and programs may affect the scale and focus of infrastructure, social services, and peace-building investments. These investments, under BARMM, had distinct funding streams emphasizing autonomous governance and regional peace agreements.
Despite the exclusion, BARMM officials have expressed commitments to support Sulu financially and developmentally, suggesting some cooperative or bridging fiscal arrangements may be in place. However, these will likely lack the full fiscal autonomy and resources accorded by BARMM status.
The transition could lead to changes in the level and focus of regional government investments, which may impact Sulu’s development trajectory unless mitigating financial support or cooperation mechanisms are sustained.
Moreover, over 5,000 government field workers assigned to BARMM ministries in Sulu are in administrative limbo, awaiting clarity on their future roles and employment status.
The 1968 Jabidah massacre, which sparked outrage and laid the groundwork for the Bangsamoro movement, took place in Sulu. The province is also the birthplace of the Bangsamoro revolution, as expressed by Cotabato City-based journalist Ali Macabalang.
Sulu's Vice Governor, Abdusakur Tan II, had initially positioned himself as a serious contender for the region's top post in the BARMM but was barred from seeking a seat in the BARMM parliament due to the SC ruling. Despite this, Tan remains optimistic about Sulu's future, stating that they want to become a model and show that they are a province that is better off outside the BARMM.
In conclusion, Sulu's exclusion from BARMM presents challenges in terms of financial support, government employment, and development trajectory. The province will need to adapt to the new fiscal regime and budgeting priorities of Region IX while seeking cooperation and support from BARMM to ensure a smooth transition.
- The policy-and-legislation changes following Sulu's exclusion from BARMM, such as the loss of block grants, special fiscal autonomy, and the realignment under Region IX budget and programs, will have significant impacts on Sulu's finances, government workers, and development.
- The politics surrounding Sulu's transition away from BARMM, including the effects on employment for over 5,000 government field workers and the shift in focus for regional development programs, have become a key aspect of the general-news discourse about the province's future.
