Intergovernmental Aid

Intergovernmental Aid

Who Will Become the Bangsamoro Autonomous Government’s Next Chief Minister?

An analysis of the race for Chief Minister following the 2026 Bangsamoro Parliament election: seat counts and coalition talks among the Bangsamoro Federal Party (BFP), United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), and BARMM Grand Coalition (BGC), and what the outcome means for Japan's support to Bangsamoro.
Intergovernmental Aid

Japan’s “Unarmed Peace Support” Behind Bangsamoro’s First Parliamentary Election

BARMM held its first parliamentary election on September 14. A look at how Japan's "unarmed peace support," through J-BIRD and other programs, has helped sustain the Bangsamoro peace process.
Intergovernmental Aid

Bangsamoro Parliament Election Set to Become a Power Struggle Between the MILF’s Party and a Marcos-Aligned Party

With the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region's first parliamentary election now just days away, on September 14, some 2.4 million voters will choose 80 members…
Defense Cooperation

Japan-Philippines Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) Takes Effect — What Japan’s First “Logistics Agreement with an ASEAN Country” Means

On August 22, 2026, the Japan-Philippines Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) entered into force.
Embassy of Japan

MNLF, MILF, BIFF, Abu Sayyaf, Maute — Decommissioning, Amnesty, and Can Former Combatants Run for Office? (Part 4 of 4, Final)

What sets the MNLF, MILF, BIFF, Abu Sayyaf, and Maute Group apart? Where their former leaders are now, how far MILF decommissioning has gone, amnesty for former combatants, and voting and candidacy rights.
Embassy of Japan

From Armed Group to Autonomous Government — How JICA Supports BARMM’s Administration (Part 4 of 4, Final)

The final part of this series on how JICA helped turn the Bangsamoro peace agreement into a functioning government — administrator training, development planning, roads, Marawi's reconstruction, agriculture, and the reintegration of former MILF combatants.
Intergovernmental Aid

Can You Legally Carry a Gun in Bangsamoro? — The Law on Unregistered Firearms, Security Companies, and Private Armies (Part 3 of 4)

Unregistered firearms are illegal in BARMM just as elsewhere in the Philippines. We explain the rules on gun registration, security company staffing caps, and why politicians' and clans' private armies are not legally permitted.
Embassy of Japan

The Narita Summit Between the President and the MILF Chairman — How Japan Supported the Peace Negotiations (Part 3 of 4)

How Japan's development work through J-BIRD and the IMT earned it the trust to help arrange the historic 2011 Narita meeting between President Aquino and MILF Chairman Murad — a turning point on the road to the 2014 Bangsamoro peace agreement.
Intergovernmental Aid

Does Bangsamoro Have Its Own Police, Military, or Currency? — Where Authority Over Land and Currency Sits with the Central Government (Part 2 of 4)

Does BARMM have its own police or military? We explain the roles of PRO BAR and the armed forces, the Torrens land registration system, and the circulation of currencies other than the Philippine peso, covering the region's security, land, and currency systems.
Embassy of Japan

Sending Development Experts to the Ceasefire Monitoring Team — J-BIRD and “Unarmed Peacekeeping” (Part 2)

Why did Japan send JICA development experts, not soldiers, to the Mindanao International Monitoring Team? An explanation of J-BIRD, the peace dividend, support through schools, wells, and farm roads, and why Japan didn't withdraw even after the 2008 collapse of the peace talks.