The Ministry of Health in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MOH-BARMM) is keen on establishing a Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) office in the region.

“Once established, it will be a major milestone for BARMM that for so long relied on its neighboring Regions 9 and 12 for food and drug and other health equipment regulations,” Dr. Kadil Sinolinding Jr., the BARMM health minister, said in a statement Friday.

On Thursday afternoon, officials from the regional lawmaking body Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) health committee, the Department of Health-FDA, and the MOH met here to finalize plans for forming a regional FDA office.

“The creation of the FDA office in BARMM aims to address beyond the logistics and time challenges posed by this current set-up,” Sinolinding said.

BTA parliament member Dr. Hashemi Dilangalen said the region’s request for a local FDA office “will not only help the region ease food and drug regulation mechanisms, but this is also an income-generating initiative for BARMM.”

Dilangalen assured that the BTA health committee and the Cabinet Ministry on Health will do their best to ensure that a bill creating the office is included as a priority legislative measure for the BARMM parliament.

Meanwhile, the FDA, through its officer-in-charge, Deputy Director General Joyce Cirunay, expressed support for creating the regional office and pledged to ease the technical and financial burden of establishing it.

Cirunay has pledged some assistance, including competency training on the technical aspects of licensing and monitoring, comprehension of issuances related to FDA functions, and budgetary assistance.

The FDA regulates health products, including food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, and other commodities in the market that affect the public’s health. (PNA)