The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have taken over from national government responsibility for the management of the Grand Mosque of Cotabato otherwise known as Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Masjid Mosque for efficient operation.
As the assigned Focal Person for BARMM Infrastructure Projects by Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark A. Villar, Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office Operations (UPMO) and Technical Services Emil K. Sadain met Wednesday, January 8, 2020 with BARMM Regional Chief Minister Ahod “Hadji Murad” Ebrahim for the turn over of enabling documents and records of the Grand Masjid to preserve its value as a place of worship and one of tourist spots in Central Mindanao.
With the inclusion of Cotabato City in the BARMM territory through the February, 2019 plebiscite for Republic Act 11054 or Bangsamoro Organic Law, BARMM government has accepted responsibility for the management of the religious facility located at Barangay Kalanganan as the regional government can allocate portion of its subsidies and local revenues for the maintenance and operations of the mosque, said Undersecretary Sadain.
As provided in the Bangsamoro Organic Law, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte earlier ordered the creation of National Government - Bangsamoro Government Inter-governmental Relations Body (IGRB) to coordinate and resolve issues on intergovernmental relations through regular consultation and continuing negotiation in a non-adversarial manner.
Undersecretary Sadain added that with the establishment of BARMM in 2019 to replace ARMM, the issue on the mosque’s management became one of the priorities since national government temporarily handles maintenance of this architectural masterpiece completed by DPWH in 2011.
Other officials present in the meeting are BARMM Executive Secretary Abdulraof A. Macacua, Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) officials headed by Undersecretary David Diciano and Director Farrah Naparan, and Project Director Johnson V. Domingo of DPWH UPMO Buildings and Special Projects Management Cluster
Designed by local architecture firm Palafox Associates, the mosque was built with a $43-million donation by Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam.
With an area of 5,000 square meters, the mosque, the largest in the Philippines and second largest in Southeast Asia can house 15,000 people.