By Ali Macabalang
COTABATO CITY – The fledgling Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has adopted its own official flag through an enabling edict passed by the interim regional parliament.
BARMM Chief Minister Ahod “Murad” Ebrahim signing into law on Wednesday the regional law on adoption of Bangsamoro official flag (Photo via Ali Macabalang/MANILA BULLETIN)
BARMM interim Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim signed into law Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 1 in simple rites at his office here on Wednesday.
The region’s first ever law, titled an “Act adopting the official (BARMM) flag,” was unanimously passed on Aug. 23 by the 80-member Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) parliament led by Speaker Pangalian M. Balindong.
The legislation pursued a provision of R.A. 11054, known as BARMM Charter, which allows the autonomous region “in the exercise of its right to self-governance” to adopt its own official flag “reflective of its people’s identity, history, heritage, struggles and aspiration,” Abdullah Cusain, deputy director at the office of Ebrahim, said.
Cusain said the law prescribes the BARMM flag be placed side-by-side with the Philippine flag in all public offices, schools, state-owned or controlled corporations, and government instrumentalities as well as ceremonies within the autonomous region.
The flag will have four colors –green, white, yellow and red – a crescent, a seven-rayed star and a kris.
The star’s rays represent the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur (including Marawi City), Basilan (including Lamitan City), Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, the city of Cotabato, and the group of former 63 villages in North Cotabato.