Manila, Feb. 6 -- The House of Representatives on Wednesday ratified a bill postponing the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to October 2025.

During the plenary session, lawmakers approved the bicameral conference committee report reconciling differences between House Bill 11144 and Senate Bill 2942.

The reconciled version moved the BARMM polls from May 12, 2025 to Oct. 13, 2025, with subsequent elections aligning with the 2028 national elections and occurring every three years thereafter.

The bill allows the current Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to continue governing the BARMM until newly elected officials assume office.

It also mandates the BARMM government to allocate the...