DAVAO CITY — The national government will fund the salaries of teachers in parts of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) which were not initially included in the region’s budget.
Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said that the national government committed to fund the teachers’ salaries worth P1.5 billion in barangays that were not covered by BARMM’s budget.
“There are 100 barangays which are… not included in the regional… transfer to the Bangsamoro region, and as a result of that, the salaries amounting to P1.5 billion a year are not covered by their budget so we committed on the national government side that we will continue to support the salaries of the teachers to those 100 barangays in North Cotabato and Cotabato City,” Mr. Dominguez said in a news conference Monday.
After a January plebiscite, around 76 barangays in North Cotabato and Cotabato City became part of the BARMM.
The newly-established BARMM government has a budget of P65.9 billion for next year.
Mr. Dominguez said the continued budgetary support will also ensure that the education programs of the BARMM are sustained in those areas.
The news conference was held after representatives of the national government and the BARMM met Monday at first meeting of the National Government-Bangsamoro Government Intergovernmental Relations Body.
“Through this Intergovernmental Relations Body, we hope to achieve informed and constructive discussions aimed at exploring the best plausible solutions to transform points of differences into points of cooperation between the National Government and Bangsamoro Government,” Mr. Dominguez said.
Mr. Dominguez said that the members of the secretariat should meet every two months or 60 days to further their discussions. — Beatrice M. Laforga
