DAVAO CITY—Bangsamoro lawmakers filed eight parliamentary bills seeking to create eight new municipalities for the 63 barangays of North Cotabato which were included in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) during the 2019 plebiscite.
“They will soon have their own municipalities in the region’s Special Geographic Area [SGA] as proposed in the eight newly-filed parliament bills,” the Bangsamoro Information Office said.
It said the bills were filed “by the Government of the Day on Tuesday to create the eight municipalities of Pahamudin, Kadayangan, Kabalukan, Northern Kabacan, Kapalawan, Malmar, Tugunan and Ligawasan.”
In the proposed bills, the 63 SGA villages would be separated from their mother municipalities and constituted into distinct and independent municipalities. These barangays formerly belonged to the towns of Pikit, Midsayap, Aleosan, Pigcawayan, Kabacan, and Carmen in North Cotabato.
One proposal by Parliament Bill (PB) No. 129 would create the municipality of Pahamudin to cover the barangays of Balacayon, Buricain, Datu Binasing, Datu Mantil, Kadilingan, Lower Pangangkalan, Matilac, Patot, Upper Pangangkalan, Lower Baquer, Simsiman, and
Libungan Torreta as its seat of government.
In PB No. 130, the municipality of Kadayangan would be established and composed of the villages of Kapinpilan (seat of government), Central Labas, Malingao, Mudseng, Sambulawan, Tugal, and Tumbras.
The municipality of Kabalukan would also be created in PB No. 131 with barangay Nabalawag as its seat of government and to consist of the villages of Damatulan, Kadigasan, Kadingilan, Kudarangan, Olandang, Macasendeg, and Dungguan.
Under PB No. 132, the barangays of Buluan, Nangaan, Sanggadong, Simbuhay, Simone, Tamped, and Pedtad (seat of government) will compose Northern Kabacan municipality.
Kapalawan Municipality will be created in PB No. 133 with its barangays, including Kitulaan (seat of government), Kibayao, Langogan, Manarapan, Nasapian, Pebpoloan, and Tupig.
PB No. 134 proposed to establish Malmar Municipality with the seven barangays of Balungis, Batulawan, Fort Pikit, Nabundas, Nalapaan, Nunguan, and Gokotan as the seat of government.
Through PB No. 135, the villages of Balong, Bualan, Lagunde, Macabual, Pamalian, Panicupan, and Manaulanan (seat of government) would compose the municipality of Tugunan.
PB No. 136 would also create the municipality of Ligawasan to compose the barangays of Bagoinged (seat of government), Barungis, Bulol, Buliok, Gli-Gli, Kabasalan, and Rajamuda.
The proposed bills said the eight municipalities would be created “upon ratification by a majority of the votes cast by qualified voters in a plebiscite to be conducted by the barangays that compose the municipalities.”
The Commission on Elections through the Bangsamoro Electoral Office shall conduct and supervise the plebiscite.
The BARMM Chief Minister would appoint the first mayor, vice mayor, and eight members of the Sangguniang Bayan of the new municipalities.
The Bangsamoro government would also appropriate and provide financial assistance for the administration and operation of the new municipalities.