The newly appointed Bangsamoro transportation and communications, and trade, investment and tourism ministers have both reported for work in offices in the regional capitol in Cotabato City.

Chief Minister Abdulrauf Macacua of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao designated last week Termizie Masahud and Farserina Mohammad as transportation and communications, and trade, investments and tourism ministers, respectively.

Local executives in Cotabato province in Region 12 and big business blocs in Central Mindanao have assured of support for the socio-economic thrusts of the two new ministers of big Bangsamoro ministries that have extensive socio-economic programs in the autonomous region.

Masahud, who hails from Tawi-Tawi, told reporters on Monday, August 11, that he will sustain the public service thrusts of his predecessor, the lawyer Paisalin Tago, now president of the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, which has jurisdiction over other state universities and colleges in BARMM and in neighboring southern administrative regions.

Masahud said the Ministry of Transportation and Communications-BARMM shall, under his watch, also focus on programs that can complement the socio-economic agenda of the peace process between the government and the southern Moro communities.

“Our delivery of services shall be inclusive. It shall cover the Muslim, Christian and indigenous sectors in the entire Bangsamoro region, just like what my predecessor did,” Masahud said.

The entrepreneur-lawyer Ronald Hallid Torrres, chairman of the Bangsamoro Business Council that has members in BARMM’s five provinces and three cities, said they will help push forward the investment-promotion efforts of the Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism-BARMM with Mohammad at its helm.

Dimacisil said they will cooperate with Mohammad in boosting BARMM’s investment climate.

Gov. Emmylou Talino-Mendoza of Cotabato, which is under Region 12 but has eight newly-established Bangsamoro towns in its territory, said she and her constituent-mayors are ready to embark, along with the MoTC-BARMM and MTIT-BARMM, on community-empowerment activities in predominantly-Moro communities in their province.

“We have been doing that since the inception of BARMM five years ago. We have no problem continuing our partnership with the offices of the new ministers of both ministries. They shall both get from us the same support that we extended to their predecessors,” said Mendoza, referring to Masahud and Mohammad.

The RDC 12 covers the cities of Kidapawan, Tacurong, Koronadal and General Santos and the provinces of Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Sarangani where there are traders who have partners in BARMM’s adjoining Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte provinces and in the region’s capital, Cotabato City.

Photo shows Masahud presenting to reporters his appointment as transportation and communications minister, signed by Macacua, who, as BARMM chief minister, is also figurehead of the 80-member Bangsamoro parliament. (August 11, 2025, Cotabato City, Bangsamoro Region)