ASOG holds a Parliamentary Forum and Workshop in Cotabato City

The Ateneo School of Government through the Executive Education Program and the Ateneo Policy Center, in collaboration with UK-based Westminster Foundation for Democracy held a Public Forum and Workshop on Parliamentary and Electoral Systems on October 03, 2019 at the EM Manor Hotel in Cotabato City. In attendance during the event were representatives from the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), policymakers, and the academe.
 
The forum aims to facilitate a deeper understanding of politics, political party dynamics, and policy-making in the parliamentary environment of the newly established Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
 
In her opening remarks, Executive Education Program Manager Ms. Marilyn Castino expressed her gratitude to the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) for their support in making the public forum possible.

“Bangsamoro politicians and voters alike must see their role in a parliamentary system. Learning parliamentary principles and methods, especially getting off to speak with its lexicon is absolutely necessary for the Bangsamoro community. Indeed, the task ahead for the entire Bangsamoro entails building a unique parliamentary tradition from the ground up” says Ms. Castino
 
In delivering the keynote message on behalf of Chief Minister Ahod B. Ebrahim, Minister Abdulraof A. Macacua of the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy (MENRE) thanks the Ateneo School of Government for organizing the public forum and workshop on parliamentary and electoral systems. “I think it safe to say that there is no better group to organize an event like this than one of the biggest - if not the biggest - academic institution in this country,” says Minister Macacua.

Minister Macacua also lauds Access Bangsamoro as “a timely response to address the fast movement of technology” and the need for the BTA to share the most recent updates about the regional government.

Professor Millard Lim, Faculty Member of the Ateneo de Manila University Political Science Department presented an Introduction to Parliamentary and Electoral Systems. Prof. Lim discussed the main features of a parliamentary system, its differences from a presidential form of government, and how parliamentary elections work.

Rt Hon. Lord Jack McConnell of Glenscorrodale, Former First Minister of Scotland, Peer at the United Kingdom House of Lords, and Former Special Representative for Peacebuilding shared his personal experiences and insights on how to build strong political parties as part of the British Parliament.

Thomas Cormier, Regional Director for Asia of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, delivered a presentation on “Inclusive and Collaborative Policy Making in the Context of a Parliamentary System.” Mr. Cormier emphasized the role of parliament as both a representative and a bridge to make lives better for the Bangsamoro citizens.

An open forum was held after the presentations from the speakers to address questions from the audience. 

The morning session was closed by Ateneo Policy Center OIC Ms. Ariza Francisco.
 
In the afternoon, a workshop for the BTA members and BTA staff was conducted. Participants shared their understanding of the current BARMM parliamentary system and their vision for the Bangsamoro Parliament. 

 Participants also identified the present issues and challenges faced by the BTA and outlined how they want these issues to be addressed and how institutions such as ASOG can provide them further assistance based on these needs. 

Moderating the proceedings was Attorney Michael Henry Yusingco, LLM, Senior Fellow at the Ateneo Policy Center.

The exchange of ideas during the forum and workshop demonstrates that there is a lot of work to be done in this transition period for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The Ateneo School of Government is committed in its mission to promote good governance and strengthen the capacity of BARMM leaders to serve their mandate to the Bangsamoro people.