BARMM’s nutrition commission launched, now operational

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Officials finally activated on Thursday, July 9, the Bangsamoro Nutrition Commission (BNC) based on a regional charter, to operate in support of local and national programs addressing malnutrition in the autonomous region.

The BNC was established via an enabling measure together proposed on Sept. 26, 2022 by two regional lawmakers, the physician-ophthalmologist Kadil Sinolinding, Jr. and Amilbahar Mawallil, approved after deliberations by the 80-seat Bangsamoro parliament and signed by the region’s chief minister, Abdulrauf Macacua, on November 19, 2025.

Sinolinding is presently serving as minister of the Ministry of Health-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in a concurrent capacity. Macacua, besides being the figurehead of the 80-member BARMM lawmaking body, is also overseeing all ministries and support agencies of the autonomous regional government.

Macacua, Sinolinding and another regional lawmaker, the physician Hashemi Dilangalen, and other BARMM officials together launched the BNC during a symbolic rite on Thursday at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex.

The event was capped off with Sinolinding’s having affixed his signature to the printed implementing rules and regulations, or IRR, pertaining to the full operationalization of the BNC that shall cover all of the Bangsamoro region’s five provinces, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi and cities, Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato City, where BARMM’s regional capitol is located.

The IRR for the BNC was jointly drafted by officials of the MoH-BARMM, nutrition specialists from different Bangsamoro agencies, local executives and officials of various regional agencies and civil-society organizations.

“The creation of this commission was inspired by a common multi-sector desire to address malnutrition in the autonomous region. All children in the Bangsamoro region should be healthy, get educated and become responsible, productive individuals, which is not easy to achieve if we don’t address malnutrition in the region” Sinolinding told reporters at the sidelines of Thursday’s ceremony at the BARMM government center in uptown Cotabato City.

Representatives of the United Nations Children’s Fund in the country and their subordinates, the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development and the funding entity Child Nutrition Fund were instrumental in the crafting of the IRR for the BNC.

“A strong Bangsamoro region begins with healthy families and well-nourished children. The operationalization of the Bangsamoro Nutrition Commission reflects our commitment to focus on health and social welfare activities because lasting peace and sustainable progress can only be achieved when our people are healthy, productive, and empowered,” Macacua told reporters on Thursday.