COTABATO CITY — Members of the academe, non-government organizations, religious and civil society groups, development partners, and private sectors across the region took part in the first hybrid public consultation on the BTA Bill No. 53 or the Bangsamoro Sustainable Development Board (BSDB).
Stakeholders were given the opportunity to provide their comments, recommendations, and legislative inputs for the proposed measure that will ensure the integration and harmonization of economic, social, and environmental considerations as vital dimensions of sustainable development policy and practice in the Bangsamoro region.
MP Engr. Baintan Adil-Ampatuan, principal co-author of the bill, said that sustainable development is a global concern and should be considered one of the primary priorities.
Explaining the importance of creating a Bangsamoro Sustainable Development Board, MP Ampatuan said, “it is a development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Under the Bangsamoro Organic Law, the Parliament shall create a BSDB composed of representatives from both the National and Bangsamoro government.
If passed into law, the Board will carefully plan ecological balance and natural resources to protect and improve the quality of life among the Bangsamoro people.
Majority Leader Atty. Lanang Ali, Jr. pressed the need to pass the proposed measure citing it as an urgent bill as far as the national and Bangsamoro government is concerned.
“I’m calling on my fellow MPs to act and immediately approve this bill before this regular session ends,” he said.
The BSDB will be chaired by the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy (MENRE) – BARMM.
The heads of other ministries in the region will also be part of the Board such as the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform; Minister of Interior and Local Government; Minister of Science and Technology; Minister of Trade, Investment, and Tourism; Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs; Bangsamoro Youth Commission; Bangsamoro Women Commission, and the Director-General of the Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority.
“While our beloved region develops, we do not compromise the future of those who will descend from us,” MP Ampatuan concluded.
Among the powers and functions of the Board include the creation of a comprehensive framework for sustainable development through the proper conservation, utilization, and development of natural resources; providing measures for environmental justice and governance; monitoring and reviewing the implementation of policies, plans, and programs to be adopted; conduct investigation in cases of irregularities in the conservation, rehabilitation, exploration, development, and utilization of the natural resources within the BARMM; and promote the effective use of economic resources and endeavor to attain economic development.
Under the proposed bill, the funding support of the Board shall be included in the annual budget of the Bangsamoro Government.
Atty. Raissa Jajurie presided over today’s public consultation in Cotabato City, held on March 17.
The second leg of the consultation will resume on March 21. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)