New Bangsamoro Parliament building breaks ground

COTABATO CITY — The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) broke ground on Monday for a new 10-story Parliament building inside the Bangsamoro Government Center here, weeks before the region’s first elected legislature takes office.

BTA Parliament Speaker Mohammad Yacob led the ceremony with other Parliament officials. The new building will rise on the site of the existing Parliament building, which will be demolished to make way for construction.

Khalid Ma-amor Hadji Abdullah, chair of the Committee on Accounts, said the project’s first phase has an allocation of P800 million, with construction expected to be completed within three years.

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READ: Interim Bangsamoro Parliament enacts 94 laws since 2019

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The building is meant to ease a long-standing shortage of working space. 

Only a limited number of Members of Parliament (MPs) currently hold offices in the existing building, while others rent office space outside the government center, according to the Parliament’s information office.

Once completed, the building will house MP offices, the plenary hall, committee hearing and meeting rooms, and spaces for other parliamentary functions.

The BTA has served as the interim Bangsamoro Parliament since 2019, crafting the laws and institutions needed to set up the autonomous government.

Newly elected MPs will assume office as the first regular Bangsamoro Parliament on Oct. 30. /das