After decades of conflict, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), in the Philippines’ southern region, held its first parliamentary elections on September 14, 2026. It marked the first electoral test of a historic 2014 peace agreement between Manila and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front that granted the region autonomy.
Author: Stacey Nicole Bellido
Policy Analyst
The Bangsamoro Elections Is A Test for Post-Conflict Politics
Nearly 2.4 million voters in the Philippines’ Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will cast ballots on September 14, 2026 in a watershed moment: the region’s first parliamentary elections. Bangsamoro voters will elect the representatives who will form their government and shape the policies and priorities that define their future. Yet, navigating these elections amid remnants of one of the world’s most protracted armed conflicts presents serious challenges. Women’s growing political participation points to whether the Bangsamoro can build genuinely inclusive governance or simply reproduce traditional hierarchies.
Women, MSMEs, and DEFA: The Business Case for ASEAN’s Digital Integration
Between March 8-10 in Manila, the Philippines, ASEAN negotiators and legal experts convened to move the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) closer to the finish line, working to resolve outstanding provisions in one of the region’s most ambitious digital undertakings.