Beneficiality (POSITIVES)

This sudden uproar was all due to the then presumptive present Rodrigo Duterte. Even before
he was elected as the President of the Philippines, he has been vocal about his belief that
federalism can bring a lot of big positive change in the lives of the Filipino people especially for
economic development not just for Metro Manila but for all the regions and peace, particularly
in the south.. Filipinos all around the world shared their view on the matter raising countless
comments and arguments. Points of views from Filipinos all around the world were made one
side stating that federalism was the next step in bringing democracy to communities
throughout the country and the others stymied the move.

But what is this buzzword all about? Well, let us take a look at its advantages and
disadvantages.

A federal government is a system that divides up power between a strong national government
and smaller local governments.

Federal government and its benefits:

In the United States, the Constitution created the federal system by limiting the activities of
the national government to a few areas, such as collecting taxes, providing for defense,
borrowing money on credit, regulating commerce, creating a currency, establishing post offices
and post roads, granting patents, creating lower courts, and declaring war.
Currently, the Philippines employs a unitary form of government with much of the power —
decisions, policies, and programs — emerging from the central government. Under federalism,
however, power is divided or shared between the central government and local state
governments.

A. Taxation

- Levi So of philstar.com on his May 2016 article enumerated the argument of those
pushing for federalism in the Philippines. Also, he raised questions such as if
 federalism is the road to economic growth in poorer regions or will it bring peace to
Mindanao. In his interview with assistant professor of political science of the
University of the Philippines and political analyst Jan Robert Go, he (Go) said that
Budget and fiscal autonomy have been a long-standing issue among local
government units (LGUs) in the country. And most of the time, programs of the
national government are “downloaded” to lower-income municipalities without the
benefit of evaluating whether they are applicable and sustainable, he added. One
contention of federalism advocates is that major tax revenues are turned over to the
national government. This could mean that it will in time distribute wealth across
the country instead of the bulk going to big cities like Manila.

- Moreover, Duterte argues that federalism is primarily about peace. Poverty is seen
as one of the roots of armed rebellion, considered as a national security threat by
the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. Likewise, historical
neglect and injustice are seen as factors behind the emergence of secessionist
groups in Mindanao. Go said that it is possible for federalism to bring peace in
Mindanao but warned against making it appear like the ultimate solution.

B. Public Demand

- Pia Ranada and Nico Villarete of Rappler enumerated the good side of federalism
such as locals being able to decide for themselves, more power over funds,
resources, promotes specialization, possible solution to the Mindanao conflict,
decongestion of Metro Manila, lessens dependence in Manila, brings government
closer to the people and encourages competition.

C. Archipelagic characteristics

- According to the Dean of the Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman,
Artemio D. Palongpalong said that Except for Indonesia and a few other archipelagic
nation-states, the Philippines is perhaps the most scattered island territory. Since
Philippines is frequently visited by typhoons, it is difficult to reach some islands
making it hard to respond to their immediate needs.”

- He then added that the best system of governance under these circumstances is
one that is sufficiently decentralized. The response mechanism to natural calamities
must be locally crafted, suitable-for the most part to local conditions. In general,
how to minimize adverse impacts of natural calamities or how to turn negative
developments relative to nature into regional assets should be comparatively easy
for the local leaders to work on.
 - On the same note, Lea Baluyot’s on her blog quoted Jose Abueva that federal
government ensures that government remains close to the people because the state
government argue that they are more in tune with the daily needs and aspirations of
people especially relevant to small and isolated places.

D. Innovation and Experimentation

- Federalism has room for innovation and experimentation. Two local governments
can have two different approaches to bring reforms in any area of public domain, be
it taxation or education. The comparison of the results of these policies can give a
clear idea of which policy is better and thus, can be adopted in the future.

- States have more autonomy to focus on economic development using their core
competencies and industries. The state of Central Luzon can focus on becoming an
agricultural hub. The state of Mimaropa, home to Palawan, can choose to use eco-
tourism as its primary launch pad.

Beneficiality (NEGATIVES)
Now, let’s list some of the cons of forming a federal government focusing on its effect to the
Philippine government and its people:
A. Conflict of authority
- Sharing of power between the center and the states includes both advantages and
disadvantages of a federal organization. Sometimes there can be overlapping of work and
subsequent confusion regarding who is responsible for what. For instance, in times of
disaster, what is the division of responsibilities between state and national governments?
B. Framing of Incorrect Policies
- Philippine society is made up of a multiplicity of interconnected and highly interdependent
and interacting parts—political subdivisions, geographic regions, communities, ethnic
groups, political, economic, religious and other types of institutions, and so on. Choices
made and actions taken in any of these components of society in pursuit of their respective
interests invariably affect the rest of the country, both positively and negatively.
- For example, strategies for tourism development adopted in the Cordillera Autonomous
Region are bound to affect income from tourism in the Cagayan Valley and other adjoining
regions. Efforts to solve the burgeoning traffic problem in the National Capital Region will
have important consequences on transport costs in Central Luzon and the Calabarzon
Region. Forest conservation measures implemented in Western Mindanao may affect water
supplies in the adjoining areas. Local and regional environmental policies are especially far-
reaching in their external effects.
C. Regionalism over patriotism
- The mark of a great country is just how patriotic and prideful the citizens are to be a part of
it. Federalism, since it promotes smaller level of government, it also promotes smaller levels
of pride. It can begin to pit one region against another and take away from the feeling of
patriotism that should be present all over the entire country.
- Healthy competition among states can become alienating – creating rivalries and promoting
the regionalism that some say already challenges the sense of unity in the country. It could
enflame hostilities between ethnic groups in the country like Tagalogs, Cebuanos, Bicolanos,
Ilocanos, Tausugs, and Zamboangueños.
D. Uneven development among states
- Some states may not be as ready for autonomy as others. Some states may not be as rich in
natural resources or skilled labor as others. States with good leaders will progress faster
while states with ineffective ones will degrade more than ever because national government
will not be there to balance them out.
- But in some federal countries, the national government doles out funds to help poorer
states. A proposed Equalization Fund will use a portion of tax from rich states to be given to
poorer states.

For rebuttal I think: There are some important issues about federalism or federal system
which must be resolved first before a strong advocacy for transformation is made . Such
issues include the type of federalism is advocated. Is it cooperative? Competitive or
coercive? In addition, the readiness of the Filipino must be highly considered such as,
not limited to Filipino mind sets and socio cultural dimensions.