COTABATO CITY — Good governance emerged as the top priority among stakeholders who participated in an exit poll conducted by the Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG) during the First BARMM Parliamentary Elections Debate here on August 27, with voters also identifying education and poverty as the most pressing issues facing the region.

 

The exit poll found that 52.4% of respondents identified good governance—including revenue, accountability, and anti-corruption—as their most critical immediate concern for the incoming First Regular Parliament. Peace and security ranked second at 26.2%, followed by economy and human development at 21.4%.

 

The results were based on responses from 195 key stakeholders who attended the debate, including representatives from civil society, youth, women's groups, persons with disabilities, and the academe, who were non-members of regional political parties. The survey was conducted to gauge the debate's effectiveness in clarifying party platforms, identify urgent legislative priorities, and provide baseline insights for the incoming Parliament.

 

Education, Poverty Top Specific Concerns

 

When respondents were asked about specific issues requiring attention, the education crisis ranked highest, selected by 76.2% of respondents.

 

This was followed by poverty, cited by 71.4%, while unresolved land disputes and clan feuds or rido ranked third at 52.4%. Poor infrastructure and low regional electrification were also identified as significant concerns, with 42.9% of respondents selecting the issue.

 

Other concerns included the Bangsamoro Government's dependence on national transfers, cited by 26.2%; childhood stunting and the exclusion of Sulu from the autonomous region, both at 11.9%; and more focused concerns such as marginalized-group representation, border governance across the island provinces, and the needs of persons with disabilities, each at 2.4%.

 

The findings point to a voter agenda that places institutional governance alongside immediate social and economic concerns, with respondents looking to the future Parliament to address both the quality of government and basic human-development needs.

 

The exit poll also found that the debate encouraged many attendees to look more closely at the political parties' platforms before making their final choice.

 

Nearly six in 10 respondents, or 59.5%, said the debate made them realize they needed to study the parties' positions further before deciding how to vote.

 

At the same time, 38.1% said the debate made it very clear which party platform they supported, while only 2.4% said the event did not help clarify their voting preference.

 

The results suggest that the debate served not only as a venue for political parties to present their platforms, but also as a starting point for voters to examine their choices more closely ahead of the September 14, 2026 first regular Bangsamoro Parliamentary Election.

 

For the incoming Parliament, the exit poll puts a particularly strong emphasis on good governance, while the specific issues identified by respondents point to education, poverty, conflict-related disputes, infrastructure, and regional development as areas demanding attention.

 

The findings provide an early snapshot of the priorities of stakeholders engaged in the historic transition to parliamentary governance in the Bangsamoro.

 

The debate brought together the 13 political parties vying for seats in the September 14 elections and was organized by IAG in partnership with Notre Dame University (NDU) and the Independent Election Monitoring Center (IEMC).

 

The replay of the debate remains available on the organizers’ Facebook pages, where the combined views have now surpassed half a million.