Bangsamoro, Philippines

Following the successful conclusion of our 2019-2025 programme and as the region prepares for historic elections in 2025, our work focuses on:

strengthening the Bangsamoro Parliament;
developing an effective political party system;
empowering women political leaders;
enhancing civil society engagement in governance.

WFD’s programming aims to establish sustainable parliamentary practices, improve electoral processes and civic education, and increase inclusion of marginalised groups, particularly women, as both voters and candidates. We create foundations for inclusive democratic governance that will serve all Bangsamoro peoples effectively during this crucial transition and beyond.

Political context

Officially the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Bangsamoro is an autonomous region in the Southern Philippines formed with the ratification of the Republic Act No. 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law on 26 July 2018 which sets up the legal and institutional basis for the region. The establishment of BARMM was the culmination of several years of peace talks between the Philippine national government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a former armed group now serving as the ruling party of the Bangsamoro Transition, which called for the creation of a region with more powers devolved from the national government.

A transition body, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) serves as the interim regional governing body pending the election of the new region's government officials in October 2025. As a parliamentary system within a presidential system of government, the BTA aspires to be a robust, inclusive and accountable regional democracy within the Philippines, with an end to armed conflict.

The BTA navigates a range of governance issues to enable the new autonomous region to transition into a working democratic entity. These include:

creating a devolved parliamentary system of government within a unitary, presidential state;
crafting an electoral system that provides for a fairer playing field and represents diverse group interests;
ensuring the new politics of the region includes everyone;
ensuring that Bangsamoro women and other minority groups have political voice and meaningful representation.

The parliamentary elections in October 2025 in the BARMM will mark a historic transition from an interim to a fully regular autonomous government. BARMM leaders, including MILF Chairman Murad Ebrahim and Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, emphasised the leadership’s desire for the elections to proceed as planned. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed security agencies and the Commission on Elections to implement new protocols to ensure a peaceful and orderly vote, ramping up preparations for the first BARMM parliamentary election.

Key areas of work

Strengthening institutions and promoting inclusive and accountable politics

WFD collaborates with parliamentary actors and bodies, political parties, electoral bodies, and civil society organisations (CSOs) to improve legislative effectiveness, promote transparency, and foster inclusive political processes—building institutional capacity to serve citizens fairly and uphold democratic values.

CSO and parliament engagement

Recognising the vital role of CSOs in democracy, WFD facilitates partnerships between them and parliamentary bodies to strengthen accountability, promote citizen participation, and align legislation with public needs.

Women’s political leadership

WFD's initiatives aim to increase women's representation in politics and governance. We partner with stakeholders to embed gender mainstreaming within parliamentary processes and legislative frameworks. This includes supporting women political leaders and promoting the adoption of inclusive, gender-transformative laws. The programme also facilitates training, mentorship, and advocacy to empower women, fostering a more inclusive and effective political environment.

Political party programming

WFD supports political parties to develop internal structures that are democratic, transparent, and responsive to the electorate. Our programmes focus on strengthening party operations, promoting internal democracy, and ensuring that parties contribute positively to the political landscape.

Current programmes

Supporting democratic stability in BARMM through a peaceful transition to an elected parliament

WFD continues to support Bangsamoro’s transition by strengthening parliamentary governance, promoting inclusive political participation, and reinforcing the institutional foundations needed for a resilient and effective regional government beyond the 2025 elections. This will specifically aim to:

Improve capability of political parties to engage in policy-driven, inclusive, and peaceful elections.
Increase knowledge and strengthen skills of incoming Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff to uphold policy-driven, inclusive, and democratic approaches in parliamentary processes.
Enhance capacities and opportunities for relevant stakeholders to engage in effective, inclusive legislative processes before and after elections.

Status

Underway

2

Start date

May 2025

Planned end date

March 2026

Completed programmes

Supporting democratic stability in the Bangsamoro

Over three programme phases, WFD led a programme supporting the BTA to deliver on the Bangsamoro Organic Law, funded through the UK Integrated Security Fund (UKISF). From 2020-2025, WFD’s work in the Bangsamoro addressed some of the most pressing areas of the transition, including:

strengthening the Bangsamoro Parliament and developing the expertise of its members and staff;
supporting the development of a political party system that fits the new parliamentary frame which allows for meaningful representation for all peoples of the Bangsamoro;
supporting women political leaders in the Bangsamoro to work together to identify and influence policies and laws;
capacitating civil society groups to extend engagement across the government and parliament, influencing policy agenda and issues.

Status

Completed

10

Start date

December 2019

Key results

a blue icon with an illustration of parliament building in background and a speaker addressing a group of MPs with a speaker

Recognised with the UK Government Project Delivery Award 2025

WFD’s work in supporting the peaceful transition to an elected parliament in BARMM was recognised with the UK Government Project Delivery Award 2025 —an honour given to complex and high-impact projects across governments.

Publicly commended for programming

The Bangsamoro Parliament publicly commended WFD’s five-year support for its critical role in the democratic transition, highlighting its impact on institutional development.

Training for women political leaders

Through the Female Fellowship for the Bangsamoro programme, 20 women political leaders received mentorship and leadership training, supporting their participation in peacebuilding and governance in a post-conflict setting.

Inter-party dialogue and support

Facilitated inter-party dialogue and supported political parties in developing internal democratic structures, improving their accountability and responsiveness to constituents.

Masterclass sessions to Bangsamoro parliamentarians

Provided masterclass sessions to Bangsamoro parliamentarians on committee procedures, and public engagement, significantly improving the institutional capacity of the Bangsamoro Parliament.

Public dialogues for civic engagement

Facilitated public dialogues and forums to promote civic engagement, through a multisectoral approach to encourage inclusive participation and promote safe, fair and credible elections, helping to embed inclusive practices within parliamentary structures, including support for gender mainstreaming in policymaking.

CSO engagement guidebook

Developed a CSO engagement guidebook and built capacities of civil society organisations to participate in legislative processes and influence decision-making.

Gender and Development Ombud Guidelines

Supported the development of the Gender and Development Ombud Guidelines of the Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission (BHRC) which serve as a framework to guide the Commission in fulfilling their mandate to uphold women’s rights and advance gender equality across the Bangsamoro region.