BARMM’s First Parliamentary Elections: A Milestone for Peace, Democracy and Development

Christophe Bahuet, UNDP Resident Representative in the Philippines

September 29, 2026

Women in hijabs stand at a long blue-clothed registration desk, using tablets indoors. — College students try out the Botong Bangsamoro App. The activity is part of the Project for Raising Voters’ Awareness and Promoting Digitalization of the Electoral Process in Bangsamoro, implemented in partnership with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), with support from the Government of Japan.

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The first regular parliamentary elections held on 14 September 2026 in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are a major milestone in the region’s journey towards lasting peace, democratic governance and sustainable development. They are among the most visible expressions of democracy—and the culmination of years of work to make meaningful participation possible.

This milestone did not happen overnight. It required institutions to be ready, citizens to be informed, and communities to understand how they could participate. It involved election authorities, government institutions, civil society, young people, women, Indigenous Peoples, communities, the media and development partners. Each had a role in creating the conditions for people to participate and make informed choices.

More than 2 million people cast their ballots, representing an 84.34 percent voter turnout grounded in genuine and voluntary participation. This high participation shows in retrospect how much voters wanted elections to happen. It also shows that citizens believe in elections as the way to make their voice heard.

Atty. Joyce Moran, COMELEC election officer for the municipality of Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao del Norte, helps prepare Bangsamoro voters by conducting community-level voter education specifically for the first BARMM parliamentary elections.

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For many Bangsamoro voters, the parliamentary system introduced new processes and choices, making a clear understanding of voting and representation in advance essential.

While the preparation and conduct of the elections were led by national and Bangsamoro institutions, local actors and communities, development partners played an active supporting role. With support from partners—especially the Governments of Japan, Australia and Spain—UNDP contributed alongside others through voter education, stronger electoral institutions and digital systems, a healthier information environment, and citizen engagement that sustains peace.

Access to reliable information is an important part of this work. With support from the Government of Japan, UNDP and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) supported 159 community-based voter education sessions across five BARMM provinces and the Special Geographic Areas, reaching 6,983 participants. These sessions helped citizens better understand the parliamentary system, electoral processes and the choices before them.

With support from Australia, UNDP and the Bangsamoro Youth Commission engaged young people as peacebuilders through voter education and practical election simulations, enabling them to participate in public life, share reliable information, and contribute to peace and development.

Electoral institutions also need the capacity and systems to deliver. UNDP’s partnership with COMELEC supported digitalization, including campaign finance reporting and improved access to electoral information—investments that strengthen institutional performance and public confidence.

The voter education sessions reflected the diversity of Bangsamoro society, bringing together women, youth, persons with disabilities, older persons, religious and traditional leaders, and non-Moro Indigenous Peoples.

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A healthy information environment is equally important. With support from Spain, UNDP works with civil society through eMonitor+ to identify misinformation, hate speech, technology-facilitated gender-based violence and other online risks to electoral integrity and participation.

Democratic participation is inseparable from the wider peace process: when people can shape public decisions through peaceful and inclusive institutions, elections become not only an expression of political choice but also a means of building democratic governance and trust, managing differences without violence and consolidating the gains of peace. With support from Australia, civil society organizations representing Moro, Indigenous Peoples and Christian communities developed a Tri-People Peace and Development Agenda covering governance, peace and security, human rights, livelihoods, climate resilience and social cohesion.

BARMM’s first parliamentary election is an achievement to celebrate. This milestone opens a new chapter for BARMM, but capable institutions and accountable representation cannot be taken for granted. They will need to be built and sustained through open citizen participation and continued commitment to peace and security, so that democratic governance delivers greater inclusion, better opportunities and tangible improvements in people’s lives.