MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has formally reassigned Sulu to the Zamboanga Peninsula region through Executive Order (EO) No. 91, following the Supreme Court’s decision excluding the province from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Signed on July 30 and made public on Aug. 2, the executive order aims to ensure the continuity of government operations and the uninterrupted delivery of essential public services in Sulu during the transition.
During fiscal year 2025, the provincial government of Sulu, its component local government units (LGUs), and relevant national government agencies (NGAs) are directed to “make all reasonable efforts to facilitate a phased and seamless transition.”
The order allows the Bangsamoro government, Sulu’s provincial government, and its LGUs to establish institutional arrangements to sustain the funding and implementation of ongoing programs, activities, and projects (PAPs), minimizing disruption to public services.
Under EO 91, all concerned NGAs are instructed to administratively realign Sulu under the Zamboanga Peninsula region for governance, development planning, investment programming, budgeting, and other regional functions.
A technical working group (TWG) has been formed to monitor the implementation of the Supreme Court ruling and manage the transition. The TWG will be chaired by the Budget Secretary, co-chaired by the Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG), and vice-chaired by the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). Members include the Sulu governor and representatives from NGAs and the Bangsamoro government.
The TWG is required to submit an annual progress report to the Office of the President through the Office of the Executive Secretary.
Personnel holding permanent appointments who are affected by the reassignment may apply for transfer to equivalent posts within BARMM, the executive branch, or other LGUs. Those who opt for retirement or separation will be entitled to incentives and applicable benefits. However, they will be barred from reemployment in the executive branch for five years—excluding LGUs and other branches of government.
The EO also specifies that the funding for PAPs transferred to NGAs during the first year of implementation will come from their available budgets. Meanwhile, projects for Sulu funded under the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA) will continue to be implemented until the end of the appropriation’s validity on December 31, 2025, or until funds are fully disbursed./PN
