LeAPS Program charts next steps for digital local governance in BARMM

August 17, 2025

Group of people working on laptops at a conference table, with a camera in the background. — Participants during the Sustainability Planning Workshop

Davao City, Philippines — The Localizing e-Governance for Accelerated Provision of Services (LeAPS) Program has taken a significant step forward after completing the Sustainability Planning Workshop, aimed at future-proofing the Bangsamoro Government’s flagship initiative for digital governance.

The LeAPS Program, a joint initiative of the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), gathered local government focal persons from the pilot sites—Butig, Piagapo, and Marantao in Lanao del Sur, and Datu Blah Sinsuat in Maguindanao del Norte, alongside representatives from the Bangsamoro Information and Communications Technology Office (BICTO) headed by Executive Director Jonathan Mantikayan, MILG’s LeAPS Program Technical Working Group, and UNDP LeAPS Program Management Office (PMO), for the three-day activity.

The workshop results will guide the development of a three-year sustainability roadmap grounded in MILG’s governance framework. It will reflect on lessons learned since the project began in 2020, and identify the actions needed to scale and sustain digital transformation across the Bangsamoro region.

A woman in a black hijab speaks into a microphone at a podium, with a backdrop featuring logos. — MILG Director Fausiah K. Romancap-Abdula delivering her opening message

The LeAPS Program has been instrumental in transforming local service delivery in BARMM through the establishment of #DigitalBangsamoro centers and the rollout of the Digital Bangsamoro Web Portal.

“Digitalization goes beyond platforms and systems. It requires sustained trust and political will to deliver services that truly matter to the Bangsamoro people. The true measure is not how we started but how we will continue,” said MILG Director Fausiah K. Romancap-Abdula in her opening message.

Facilitated by development planning expert Nelia B. Agbon, the workshop guided participants in identifying which elements of the LeAPS Program to sustain, scale, or adapt as it transitions into its next phase. This includes aligning digital governance efforts with MILG’s broader mandate for moral governance, local innovation, and inclusive service delivery.

As BARMM moves forward in building inclusive and people-centered governance, the LeAPS Sustainability Planning Workshop helps lay the groundwork to ensure that today’s digital progress leads to lasting, meaningful change. [E]