Manila: Three government institutions have initiated a book project focusing on the history of the Bangsamoro people. National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Commissioner Dr. Cecilia Tangian announced that the project will be supported by an PHP8 million grant. This initiative will cover research and publication efforts concerning the history of 13 ethnolinguistic groups located in Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan.

According to Philippines News Agency, the NHCP is collaborating with the Bangsamoro Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage and Mindanao State University (MSU) in Iligan and Marawi for this project. An inception meeting was conducted over Thursday and Friday to discuss the project's framework. Dr. Tangian, who also serves as the director of the Center for Advanced Education and Lifelong Learning at MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, mentioned, "A memorandum of agreement will be finalized after this meeting and by 2027, we can produce a compendium of written works on Bangsamoro history."

NHCP Executive Director Carminda Arevalo highlighted that the project will aid in incorporating the history of the 13 ethnolinguistic groups into the broader Filipino identity. Additionally, Dr. Darwin Absari, a professor of Islamic Studies at the University of the Philippines, shared insights on the new trends in historical research.

The book project is aligned with the 2030 Year of Philippine Muslim History and Heritage, a nationwide initiative mandated under Administrative Order (AO) No. 10, s. 2023. This order tasks various government agencies, including the NHCP, National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, Bangsamoro Government, and several departments, to plan and execute programs that recognize and highlight Muslim history and heritage as an integral part of Philippine history and culture.