Marcos declares Sept 14 a special non-working day for first BARMM parliamentary polls
President Marcos has declared September 14, 2026, a special non-working day in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to facilitate the region's first parliamentary elections. The government remains committed to the democratic process despite a recent attempted ambush on a regional official.
Why it matters
This election marks a critical milestone in the transition toward democratic governance in a historically volatile region.
President Marcos has declared Sept. 14, 2026, a special non-working day in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to allow residents to participate in the region’s first regular parliamentary elections.
Proclamation No. 1395, signed on Aug. 18 by Acting Executive Secretary Ralph Recto by authority of the President, said the declaration would give Bangsamoro residents the opportunity to fully exercise their right to vote.
“In order to give the people of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao the opportunity to actively and fully participate in the election and exercise their right to vote, it is but fitting and proper to declare Monday, 14 September 2026, as a special (non-working) day,” the proclamation stated.
The Sept. 14 polls were set under Republic Act (RA) No. 12317, which further amended the Bangsamoro Organic Law and moved the first regular elections to the second Monday of September 2026.
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