Introduction — Background, Purpose, Anchors and Methodology

A. Background and Rationale: From Post-Conflict Recovery to Investment Destination

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was formally established on 26 February 2019, following the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (Republic Act No. 11054, 2018) in the plebiscite held earlier that year. The region is more than an administrative reorganisation. It is a political settlement that seeks to turn decades of armed conflict into a durable framework for self-governance, cultural affirmation and economic self-determination.

The region enters the roadmap period with clear evidence of progress and of continuing constraints. On the first-semester measure, poverty incidence among families fell from 55.9 percent in 2018 to 34.8 percent in 2023 (PSA, 2023). On the full-year measure, it fell from 28.0 percent in 2021 to 23.5 percent in 2023, still among the highest of all regions (PSA, 2024). The improvement is substantial, but poverty remains a central development constraint.

The economy is growing again after a slow 2024. Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) grew 2.7 percent in 2024, after 4.3 percent in 2023. In 2024, services accounted for 42.0 percent of GRDP; agriculture, forestry and fishing for 32.4 percent; and industry for 25.6 percent (PSA-RSSO BARMM, 2025). Growth then accelerated to 5.0 percent in 2025, the sixth fastest of the country's 18 regions (MindaNews, 2026). This structure means that value addition, infrastructure, market access, human capital and finance have to be considered together rather than as separate sector programmes.

Investment activity is also rising. Investment approvals reached ₱5.1 billion in the first four months of 2026 (BBOI, 2026). Approvals, however, are not the same as realised capital formation or broad investor confidence. BIRD therefore treats investor confidence as an outcome to be measured through administrative and market indicators, not inferred from a single approval figure.

Provincial trajectories differ. Lanao del Sur was the fastest-growing province in 2023, at 5.02 percent, and grew 4.0 percent in 2024, supported by the SPDA Agro-Industrial Development Program and anchor investments such as DoleFil's ₱306 million pineapple facility. Maguindanao del Norte grew fastest in 2024, at 4.1 percent, on the strength of a services-led economy and growing industrial capacity (MFBM, 2025). Basilan was declared free of the Abu Sayyaf Group on 9 June 2025, a milestone that improves the conditions for normal investment activity (PIA, 2025).

The Bangsamoro Investment Roadmap Development (BIRD) 2026–2035 is MTIT's ten-year strategic framework for investment-led, inclusive and sustainable economic transformation. It builds on the region's productive assets and institutional context: agriculture and fisheries, halal identity and enterprise, a strategic position in BIMP-EAGA, renewable-energy resources, cultural assets, human capital and emerging Islamic finance. The roadmap does not assume that comparative advantage automatically becomes investment advantage. It focuses on the enabling conditions, linkages and execution capabilities needed to turn assets into investable opportunities and broad-based economic outcomes.

B. Scope, Coverage and Temporal Horizon

B.1 Geographic Scope

The roadmap covers BARMM as now constituted: five provinces (Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Basilan excluding Isabela City, and Tawi-Tawi), the Special Geographic Area (SGA) and Cotabato City. Sulu has been outside BARMM since the Supreme Court decision of 9 September 2024 (Supreme Court of the Philippines, 2024). Cotabato City, the regional seat of government and the main commercial centre, is treated as a distinct urban node. Each province is profiled through the Bangsamoro Economic and Investment Ecosystem (BEIE) Framework to analyse sectoral linkages and identify priority investment corridors.

B.2 Sectoral Coverage

The roadmap addresses six priority investment sectors, the same six used in the stakeholder workshops, together with the green economy as an emerging cross-cutting pillar. Each is mapped to the BEIE Framework's five functional clusters.

B.3 Temporal Scope and Three-Phase Architecture

The roadmap spans 2026–2035 in three implementation phases, sequenced by investment readiness and system dependencies. The indicative public catalytic envelope is ₱120–160 billion across the decade. The Integrated Ecosystem Development Strategy (IEDS) connects the strategic options and sets the implementation sequence. All amounts remain subject to project readiness, financing, safeguards, feasibility and annual budget decisions.

C. Purpose of the Investment Roadmap Development

The BIRD 2026–2035 translates the Bangsamoro Government's investment-promotion mandate into a coherent, evidence-informed roadmap. It connects policy, investment facilitation, sector development, infrastructure, finance, market access and implementation governance, so that individual projects contribute to a functioning investment ecosystem. The roadmap is a decision and coordination framework. It does not replace project feasibility studies, statutory approvals, annual appropriations or agency mandates.

The roadmap serves five related purposes:

1. Integrated analytical framework. Provide a research-based, policy-oriented framework that combines provincial insight, global trends, workshop outputs and multi-sector analysis, kept ecosystem-based by the BEIE Framework and Strat Planner Pro.

2. Evidence-based strategic guidance. Guide policymakers, planners and investors over the decade with strategies grounded in verified PSA-BARMM data, stakeholder evidence and international benchmarks (OIC/SMIIC, ESG, PDP 2023–2028).

3. High-leverage opportunity identification. Identify the investment opportunities and interventions where a small change at the right point produces a large, system-wide effect (Meadows, 1999).

4. Measurable target architecture. Set measurable targets and monitoring mechanisms aligned with international standards, national priorities and Bangsamoro objectives, operated through the Balanced Scorecard and the MEL Dashboard.

5. Synchronised ecosystem development. Replace scattered, siloed interventions with synchronised development, using TOWS and systems archetypes so that strategies reinforce one another across clusters.

D. Guiding Principles

Six guiding principles shape analysis, strategy, implementation and learning. They work as operating rules for investment facilitation and public decision-making. Where they carry measurable indicators, targets remain subject to baseline verification and periodic calibration.

E. Regulatory and Policy Anchors

The BIRD 2026–2035 operates within a legal and policy framework that spans three tiers: national legislation, BARMM-specific instruments, and regional and international frameworks. These anchors align the roadmap with national priorities, international standards and the region's autonomous governance structure.

E.1 National Legislation and Issuances

Bangsamoro Organic Law (Republic Act No. 11054, 2018). The BOL establishes BARMM's autonomous government and directs it to promote investment and create a favourable climate for business in the region (Article XIII, Section 24). It provides the legal basis for region-specific policies on investment facilitation, halal development and economic zones, within the Constitution and applicable national laws.

CREATE MORE Act (Republic Act No. 12066, 2024). CREATE MORE sets the national fiscal incentive framework that applies to registered enterprises in BARMM: income tax holidays, the special corporate income tax, the enhanced deductions regime, duty and VAT incentives, and the RBE local tax. Its enhanced deductions for research and development, training, power and domestic inputs directly support the Enablers and Transformers clusters.

2026 Strategic Investment Priority Plan (Memorandum Order No. 47). The SIPP defines the activities eligible for incentives nationwide. It includes area-specific priority activities for BARMM, namely halal tourism and investment operations of Islamic banks under RA 11439 (Office of the President, 2026). Widening this BARMM list is a policy objective of the roadmap (Chapter 7).

Islamic Banking Law (Republic Act No. 11439, 2019). The law provides the framework for Islamic banks and Shariah-compliant financial services. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas licenses and supervises Islamic banks; the Bangsamoro Government's role is to build demand, project pipelines, Shariah-governance capacity and public-sector use of Islamic instruments.

Republic Act No. 11550 (2021). The law divided the former Maguindanao province into Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur, enabling province-specific investment strategies.

E.2 BARMM-Specific Legal and Policy Instruments

2nd Bangsamoro Development Plan (BDP) 2023–2028. The BDP sets medium-term development priorities and sectoral targets. It is the primary planning document that the BIRD operationalises through investment facilitation strategies (BPDA, 2023).

Bangsamoro Investment Code (draft). The draft Code, as of 22 April 2026, sets out the regional framework for investment incentives, the roles of investment promotion agencies, an investment development council and non-fiscal support (MTIT, 2026a). Its harmonisation with CREATE MORE and with BIF-Net is addressed in Chapter 7.

Proposed Executive Order on the Bangsamoro Investment Facilitation Network (BIF-Net). The proposed order establishes BIF-Net as the inter-agency investment facilitation framework and creates a Regional Green Lane for Strategic Investments, with MTIT-BoI as permanent secretariat (Office of the Chief Minister, 2026).

Bangsamoro Halal Industry Development Plan (BHIDP) 2025–2030. The BHIDP sets the strategy for the halal ecosystem, certification infrastructure and export market linkages (MTIT-BARMM, 2025). It is the primary operational plan for halal investment in the Transformers cluster.

Bangsamoro Sustainable Energy Master Plan (BSEMP). The BSEMP reports a renewable share of generation of 75.86 percent and sets the pathways for renewable development, grid connection and electrification (MENRE-BARMM, 2024). It anchors energy investments in the Foundations and Enablers clusters.

Bangsamoro Forestry Code (pending). The Code was pending before the interim Parliament's Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Energy; its enactment now rests with the first elected Parliament. It will set the legal basis for sustainable resource use, value-added forest products and access to environmental markets, including REDD+ and payments for ecosystem services.

Draft MENRE–MILG Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2026-01. The draft circular, for signature, sets frameworks for carbon credit programmes, payments for ecosystem services and eco-tourism user fees as revenue mechanisms for local governments and communities. Its adoption is a Chapter 7 recommendation.

E.3 Regional and International Frameworks

BIMP-EAGA EGL Sub-Committee Strategic Plan 2025–2028. The Brunei Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Environment, Green Economy and Land Use plan provides a regional framework for green economy integration and cross-border trade (BIMP-EAGA, 2024). Tawi-Tawi's proximity to Sabah and the SGA's position on the central Mindanao corridor give BARMM natural trade advantages within the growth area.

Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023–2028. The PDP sets national priorities and indicators against which BARMM's contribution is aligned and monitored (NEDA, 2023).

OIC/SMIIC standards. The Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC) provides the main international framework for halal standards and for the accreditation of halal certification bodies, guiding BARMM's certification infrastructure and market-access strategy (SMIIC, 2021).

ASEAN Economic Community Strategic Plan 2026–2030. Adopted in May 2025 under the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, the plan succeeds the AEC Blueprint 2025 as the regional integration framework that BARMM engages through BIMP-EAGA (ASEAN, 2025).

UN Sustainable Development Goals. The SDGs inform the roadmap's inclusive growth strategies, particularly Goals 1 (no poverty), 8 (decent work and economic growth), 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure) and 13 (climate action).

Status reflects the documents in the BIRD evidence base. Bills not enacted by the interim Parliament should be confirmed with the Parliament Secretariat for refiling requirements.

F. Analytical Frameworks and Methodology

The BIRD 2026–2035 uses two complementary analytical frameworks, the Bangsamoro Economic and Investment Ecosystem (BEIE) Framework and the Strat Planner Pro Architecture, to provide methodological rigour, systems-level analysis and actionable outputs. This section introduces both frameworks, the five-step methodology that integrates them, and the stakeholder process that supplied much of the evidence.

F.1 The Bangsamoro Economic and Investment Ecosystem (BEIE) Framework

The BEIE Framework moves investment analysis away from isolated sectoral silos towards an integrated view of how economic clusters interact and reinforce one another. Grounded in systems-based economic theory, it organises BARMM's economy into five functional clusters, anchored by moral governance and supported by four cross-cutting enablers: tourism and culture, peace and security, human capital, and environmental sustainability (Silva, 2026a).

The framework's core insight, that BARMM's sectors are deeply interconnected and that treating them in isolation wastes effort and opportunity, is a governance imperative as much as an analytical finding. The five clusters are set out in Figure 1-3 and Table 1-5.

F.2 The Strat Planner Pro Architecture

The Strat Planner Pro Architecture (Silva, 2026b) provides the planning and roadmapping architecture for the BIRD 2026–2035. It integrates five analytical layers, namely SWOT analysis, systems thinking and mapping, the strategy matrix, metrics and KPI benchmarking, and the Balanced Scorecard, so that diagnosis becomes measurable, time-bound implementation.

Tool 1: SWOT analysis with quantified indices. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are identified with stakeholder attribution and variable classification, then scored with a distinct formula for each quadrant (see Chapter 2 for the full diagnostic).

Tool 2: Systems thinking and systems mapping. Causal loop diagrams map reinforcing and balancing feedback loops. Systems archetype analysis identifies recurring patterns such as Limits to Growth, Fixes that Fail, Shifting the Burden and Tragedy of the Commons that determine where intervention has the most leverage (Senge, 1990; see Chapter 2).

Tool 3: Strategy matrix (TOWS). The TOWS matrix matches internal strengths and weaknesses with external opportunities and threats to generate SO, WO, ST and WT strategies. Each strategic option is evaluated with a seven-criteria weighted scoring matrix (see Chapter 3).

Tool 4: Metrics benchmarking and KPI calibration. Strategic objectives are translated into KPIs with baselines, targets and data sources, benchmarked against international standards (OIC/SMIIC, ESG, SDGs), national targets (PDP 2023–2028) and Bangsamoro objectives (see Chapter 4).

Tool 5: Balanced Scorecard (BSC). The BSC translates strategy into measurable outcomes across four perspectives (Financial, Stakeholder, Internal Process, and Learning and Growth), linking capability investments to economic and inclusion outcomes. The scorecard is developed in Chapter 5; implementation, annual programming and MEL in Chapter 6; and policy and institutional recommendations in Chapter 7.

F.3 Five-Step Methodology for Strategy Formulation

The BIRD 2026–2035 applies a five-step methodology that integrates the BEIE Framework and the Strat Planner Pro Architecture. Each step builds on the previous one, so that the analysis is rigorous, stakeholder-informed and systems-aware.

F.4 Stakeholder Engagement and Workshop Process

The BIRD 2026–2035 was built from the ground up. It started with regional working sessions, moved through the provinces, and was then checked through a region-wide validation survey. At each stage the Strat Planner Pro Framework's participatory data-collection method guided the work. Participants did not only comment on a draft: they wrote the problem statements, opportunities, priorities and pathways that the roadmap analyses. The process ran in four stages (Figure 1-6).

Stage 1: Regional workshops (January–February 2026)

Two rounds of regional workshops brought together representatives of Bangsamoro ministries, offices and agencies (BMOAs), the private sector (small and medium enterprises and major businesses) and development partners. Working in sector groups, participants applied five Strat Planner Pro tools in sequence to six investment sectors: agro-industry, halal, tourism, energy and utilities, infrastructure, and services. Each tool took the previous tool's output as its input (Table 1-7).

Stage 2: Mainland provincial workshop, Cotabato City (24 March 2026)

The process then moved to the provinces. On 24 March 2026, a workshop in Cotabato City brought together BMOAs, local government units (LGUs) and private-sector participants from Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur and the Special Geographic Area (SGA). It used the same participatory method to test the regional findings against provincial conditions.

Stage 3: Provincial workshops with BEIE cluster conversations (May–June 2026)

On 12 May 2026, a provincial workshop for Lanao del Sur was held in Marawi City. On 20 June 2026, a workshop for Basilan followed the same design. It was held in Isabela City, which lies outside BARMM, and the discussion covered the BARMM part of the province. Both sessions strengthened the method in two ways:

• discussion was organised around the clusters of the Bangsamoro Economic and Investment Ecosystem (BEIE), so participants looked at how sectors depend on one another rather than treating each in isolation;
• each workshop started from a prepared Provincial Economic and Investment Outlook, which gave participants a shared base of data and context before they began (MTIT, 2026b).

Both workshops drew a wide range of government, LGU and private-sector stakeholders.

Stage 4: Validation survey (3–20 August 2026)

The BIRD Validation Survey tested the workshop findings and the roadmap's draft logic with a wider audience. All 76 responses carry final consent under the Data Privacy Act of 2012. No responses came from Basilan or Tawi-Tawi. Basilan is covered by its June workshop, and Tawi-Tawi by secondary data until its workshop results are integrated (BIRD Validation Survey, 2026).

From participation to analysis

The planning team synthesised the workshop outputs and survey responses through the Strat Planner Pro architecture:

• quantified SWOT scoring;
• causal loop diagrams and systems archetypes;
• leverage-point analysis;
• the TOWS strategy matrix;
• the Balanced Scorecard.

The team then formulated the four strategic options and scored them against seven weighted criteria, which led to the recommended Integrated Ecosystem Development Strategy (IEDS). Findings were cross-checked against PSA-BARMM data, the provincial economic and investment outlooks, and relevant national and international benchmarks.

The roadmap therefore combines three kinds of evidence: official statistics, stakeholder evidence and systems analysis. Each is kept distinct. Where evidence is incomplete or may change, the roadmap marks the item for baseline verification, feasibility assessment or later calibration rather than presenting an assumption as fact.

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