Voters in the southern Philippines are casting ballots in a historic election that could shape the future of one of the country’s most conflict-affected regions and put a decades-long peace process to a crucial test.
More than 2.3 million registered voters are expected to cast their ballots in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The vote is the first parliamentary election since the autonomous region was created in 2019, marking a major milestone in a peace process more than a decade in the making.
BARMM is a self-governing region in the southern Philippines. It covers parts of Mindanao, including Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato City and the Special Geographic Area in North Cotabato.
The region has a population of about 4.5 million and is predominantly Muslim, setting it apart from much of the largely Christian Philippines.
BARMM was established after voters backed greater autonomy in a 2019 referendum. It replaced an earlier system of limited self-rule in the region.
The aim was to give local communities greater control over their political and economic affairs, while keeping the region within the Philippines.
The roots of BARMM lie in a decades-long separatist conflict.
In 2014, the Philippine government signed a peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the country's largest Muslim separatist movement.
The conflict took a heavy toll, with more than 120,000 people killed and around two million displaced during decades of fighting.
The peace deal proposed a new autonomous government for the Muslim-majority south. Its terms were later enshrined in law in 2018.
A year later, voters overwhelmingly approved the legislation in a plebiscite. BARMM was created, with an interim administration put in place to prepare for an elected government.
Monday's election is intended to complete that transition.
Supporters of autonomy argue that political control from Manila failed to adequately tackle the region's long-standing problems.
BARMM has struggled with poverty, underdevelopment and a lack of economic opportunities. Supporters of greater self-rule hope increased local control will help address those problems while reducing the appeal of armed groups.
Security remains a major concern.
In 2017, Islamic State-linked militants seized parts of Marawi City. The five-month battle became the Philippines' worst urban conflict since the Second World War.
The peace process has helped reduce violence, but significant security and development challenges remain.
The region has shown signs of economic improvement.
BARMM's economy grew by 5 per cent in 2025, compared with 3.5 per cent the previous year. Growth also outpaced the Philippines' national rate of 4.4 per cent.
Poverty has fallen in recent years, although BARMM remains one of the country's poorest areas.
The region also has considerable economic potential. Agriculture, fisheries, marine resources, energy and mineral deposits could provide new sources of jobs and investment if stability continues.
For many residents, however, the success of autonomy will ultimately be measured by whether it delivers tangible improvements to everyday life.
BARMM is the only part of the Philippines governed through a parliamentary system.
Voters are choosing an 80-member regional parliament.
The seats are divided into three groups:
The parliament will then choose BARMM's chief minister, who will lead the regional executive.
The election therefore goes beyond choosing individual lawmakers. It will determine who controls the region's first elected government under the new system.
The contest brings together former Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels who have moved into politics, rival groups that emerged from the peace process and powerful, established political clans.
Their competing visions reflect the changing politics of the region.
The MILF was once an armed separatist movement. It is now seeking political power through the institutions created by the peace agreement.
Traditional political families, meanwhile, remain influential across much of the southern Philippines.
The result could determine how power is shared between these groups and whether the new political system can preserve a fragile peace.
The election represents a crucial test of the peace process.
For the first time, BARMM's parliament and regional leadership will be chosen by voters rather than appointed under the interim administration.
Election officials are hoping for a turnout of at least 80 per cent after the vote was delayed for several years.
A peaceful and credible election would strengthen the case for autonomy and give the region's new institutions a democratic mandate.
The bigger test, however, will come after the ballots are counted. The next government will face the difficult task of turning political autonomy into better public services, jobs and security.
For BARMM, the election is therefore about far more than who wins the 80 parliamentary seats. It is a test of whether decades of conflict can finally give way to stable and lasting self-government.
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