Biosketch of MP Atty. Ubaida C. Pacasem

Atty. Ubaida Pacasem was appointed as a Member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament in 2019 and was reappointed in 2022 as an MILF nominee. At the BTA Parliament, he serves as the Senior Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on Finance, and Budget and Management, and the Committee of Ways and Means. He is a member of the Parliamentary Committees on Rules, Accounts, and Amendments, Revision and Codification of Laws. In addition, he is also a member of Statutory Committees on Trade, Investment and Tourism, Local Government, Health, Bangsamoro Justice System, and Women, Youth, Children, and Persons with Disabilities. He also sits at the Philippine Congress-Bangsamoro Parliament Forum.

Currently, Atty. Pacasem is the Minister of Finance, and Budget and Management. He holds the distinction of being the youngest Minister of the Cabinet. Atty. Pacasem is the Chairperson of the Inter-Governmental Fiscal Policy Board, a position he shares with the Secretary of Finance. He is also a member of the Intergovernmental Relations Body, Bangsamoro Sustainable Development Board, Bangsamoro Economic Development Council, and the Bangsamoro Economic Zone Authority. He also sits as the Vice-Chairperson of the Bangsamoro Barter Trade Council and an ex-officio Governor of the Bangsamoro Board of Investment.

As a Cabinet and Parliament member, he principally works on the annual Bangsamoro Expenditure Program. He also leads the drafting of the Bangsamoro Revenue Code and the Bangsamoro Budget System Law.

Prior to joining the Bangsamoro Government, Atty. Pacasem served as the Chief of the Legal Affairs Division of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) Region XII-A, where his legal team aided in high-profile Muslim cases, supported Muslim detainees, and ran community legal education initiatives. He also served as a legal researcher and consultant for the Philippine Senate in crafting the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

Accountancy as his first profession, Atty. Pacasem was the Chief Accountant of Cotabato Regional and Medical Center (CRMC), where he worked on integrating zakat collection for Muslim employees into the payroll system of the hospital.

Atty. Pacasem earned both his bachelor’s degree in accountancy and in law at Notre Dame University, Cotabato City, in 2007 and 2012, respectively. After admission to the Philippine bar in 2013, he joined the university as a Senior Lecturer until 2019.

A full-blooded Iranun, Atty. Ubaida Pacasem was born and raised in Barira, Maguindanao del Norte. His parents named him after Abu Ubaidah ibn al Jarrah, a great warrior, and companion of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Ubaida is the fifth of eleven children of Hadji Abdullah M. Pacasem (deceased), Bobby Buldon to many, and Hadja Sittie Samerah C. Pacasem, a retired public elementary teacher.