1. Areas of Autonomy in Muslim
Mindanao: Implication on Governance
Presented by:
ATTY. ANWAR A. MALANG
Secretary, DILG-ARMM

2. Outline of the Presentation
• Map of the ARMM
• ARMM Basic Statistical Data
• ARMM Brief History and Legal Basis
• Governance Challenges and Implication to
Autonomy
• The ARMM Intergovernmental Relations
• ARMM Agencies Classification
• Ways Forward

4. ARMM Baseline Data
ARMM Basic Statistical Data
Land Area 33,511.29
Population 3,256,140
No. of Province 5
No. of City 2
No. of Municipality 116
No. of Barangay 2,490

5. ARMM Brief History and Legal Basis
• Tripoli Agreement on Dec. 23, 1976, which provided for the
creation of Regional Autonomous Governments 9 and 12. It was
implemented through PD No. 1618.
• 1987 Constitution which provides for the creation of ARMM and
Cordilleras.
• RA 6734 (Organic Act for ARMM) in 1989 was passed into law
with 4 provinces.
• The Final Peace Agreement to implement the Tripoli
Agreement was signed on Sept 2, 1996 resulted in the
amendment of RA 6734 through the RA 9054 known as
expanded ARMM Organic Act with the inclusion of City of
Marawi and Province of Basilan for the new ARMM.

6. Governance Challenges and
Implications to Autonomy
• The proximity of the areas of autonomy
• The cultural differences of the people within the
Autonomous Region
- However, it was overcome and surpassed since
the establishment of formal organization of Moro
fronts.

7. Governance Challenges and
Implications to Autonomy
The Real Challenges:
1. LGU oversight agencies treated ARMM LGUs as if there
is no autonomous region. LGUs in Basilan, Sulu and
Tawi-Tawi are being supervised by DBM-9 while
Maguindanao and Lanao by DBM-12.
2. Nationally funded programs implemented by national
government in ARMM also treated as if there is no
autonomy. DWPH-X for national road projects in
Lanao del Sur, DPWH-XII for national road projects in
Maguindanao and DPWH-IX for projects in BaSulTa.

8. Governance Challenges and
Implications to Autonomy
3. CSC, COA and other regulatory agencies share their
findings/reports to ARMM hoping that the region will
act on it as part of its supervisory power. After 25
years, shortcomings in governance practices remain
unaccounted for.
4. Program monitoring is costly due to non-proximity of
the area.
5. ARMM Fiscal Dependency to National Government
6. Lack of clarity in jurisdictional boundaries

9. ARMM Intergovernmental Relation
Areas Current Policy/Practice Result
National Government to
ARMM
The President exercises
general supervision over the
regional governor (RA 9054)
The Oversight Committee is not
reviewing the provisions of ARMM.
ARMM to its component
Local Government Units
The Regional Governor
exercises general supervision
over LGUs through DILG-
ARMM (RA 9054 and MMAA
25)
LGU oversight and regulatory
agencies (DBM, CSC, COA, DOF) are
not devolved to region. In effect,
LGU policies related to it are still
governed by national laws.
However, these non-devolved
agencies are expecting the regional
government to ensure faithful LGU
compliance as part of its devolved
supervisory functions over them.
National Government to
ARMM Component LGUs
The local budget is regulated
through DBM policies. LGU
budget is reviewed directly by
DBM (RA 7160)
The lack of power of the regional
government to review local budget
reduces its supervisory power over
LGUs to persuasion. It practically
resulted to the creation of autonomy
within the autonomous region.

10. Classification of ARMM Agencies
1. Non-Devolved Agencies – These are national agencies operating in
the region or have field office in the ARMM, i.e. COA-ARMM, CSC-
ARMM, NSO-ARMM and etc. The relation of regional government
over these agencies is limited to coordination and partnership.
2. Devolved but Nationally Funded agencies – These are devolved
agencies but its financial requirements are subject to approval of
national government (i.e. DILG-ARMM, DENR-ARMM, DPWH-
ARMM and etc.) These are agencies under the direct supervision and
control of regional government.
3. Locally created offices but nationally funded agencies – These are
agencies required for operation of the region (i.e. ORT and RPDO).
4. Locally created and locally funded offices – these are agencies found
to be necessary in the operation of autonomy (i.e. BCH, CDO/BYA,
BWC, RRUC and etc.

11. Ways Forward
• Complete devolution of LGU oversight and regulatory
agencies to empower the region to be fully responsible to
governance affairs
• Empowerment of regional government to prioritize, allocate,
utilize its available resources to the critical development
programs in the region
• Provide clear partnership and coordination mechanism on the
effective implementation of good governance policies by the
national government and the regional government
• Improvement of transportation and communication systems in
the region
• Strengthened government structure of the Autonomous
Region to be responsive and functional in accordance with its
needs.

12. END OF PRESENTATION