NATIONAL government agencies and the Bangsamoro Government on Wednesday opened a two-day technical preparatory workshop to lay the groundwork for the inaugural meeting of the Bangsamoro Education Coordination Forum (BECF), a new platform aimed at strengthening education coordination in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The Sept. 3–4 workshop, held at Novotel Manila Hotel, is being facilitated by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) and UNICEF Philippines. It brings together senior technical officials from national agencies and BARMM ministries to align education policies, programs, and resources.

The BECF was created through a Memorandum of Agreement signed on July 28, 2026, by the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), and Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE).

Anchored on the Bangsamoro Organic Law, the forum will serve as the primary venue for joint planning, policy coordination, target-setting, monitoring, and resolving cross-cutting education issues in BARMM.

UNICEF Philippines Mindanao Field Office Chief Andreas Wuestenberg said the initiative represents a shared commitment to ensuring quality education for every Bangsamoro learner.

“It’s a commitment that quality learning from early childhood education through higher education and technical-vocational training should be within reach for every learner regardless of where they are born,” Wuestenberg said.

Delivering the keynote message of Education Secretary Sonny Angara, Assistant Secretary Roger Masapol emphasized that the forum is intended to foster not only clear procedures but also a culture of collaboration among institutions.

EDCOM 2 earlier found that despite the creation of BARMM in 2018, there was no formal coordination mechanism between MBHTE and national education agencies, resulting in largely ad hoc engagements that limited joint planning, data sharing, and policy alignment.

EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee said the BECF is the product of two years of consultations with national and Bangsamoro stakeholders.

“This has been two years in the making. We realized there was a lack of a bridge between the national government and the Bangsamoro, so we needed a mechanism where both sides could be part of the conversation,” Yee said.

The workshop also includes representatives from the Department of Budget and Management, Department of Justice, Commission on Audit, PRC, and senior officials from MBHTE-BARMM overseeing basic, higher, technical-vocational, and Madaris education.

Expected outputs of the workshop include an institutional and policy mapping, a joint BARMM education situationer, an implementation and accountability matrix, and a proposed decision package for adoption during the BECF’s inaugural meeting.