Are we ready for a shift to federalism?

THIS is one of the 38 questions in the Q and A of the recently launched publication, “Debate on Federal Philippines, a Citizen’s Handbook,” written by six of the country’s foremost experts on governance – Eduardo Araral Jr., PhD, Paul D. Hutchcroft, PhD, Gilbert M. Llanto, PhD, Jonathan E. Malaya, Julio C. Teehankee, PhD, and Ronald U. Mendoza, PhD. In his Introduction, Dr. Mendoza, dean of the Ateneo School of Government, which published the handbook, noted that federalism which he describes as the “cart” appears to come before the horse (the reform agenda linked to decentralized governance), and that the two governance concepts are fundamentally intertwined. He hopes that the publication could spark broader discussion as well as provoke a more focused assessment of the country’s governance options.

It is said that the art of asking questions is the best evidence of understanding, far surpassing the answer. It is the best way of developing critical thinking and of gaining deeper insights on the issues.

This timely handbook also “draws on existing international and Philippine specific evidence and policy experience to shed light on the possible answers to these questions”:

1. What is Republic Act 7160 (Local Government Code of 1991) and what is the motivation behind decentralization?

2. Has fiscal decentralization succeeded or failed? What have we learned from over 25 years of decentralization?

3. How is federalism linked to decentralization?

4. Why pursue federalism? Why not just amend the Local Government Code?

5. What are the different models of federalism extant in the world today? 6. How do federal models differ? 7. What lessons can be learned from the American, Canadian, and German model?

8. Which model of federalism fits the Philippines?

9. Is federalism in the Philippines a “new ideal?”

10. Which forms of government fits the Philippines best – presidential, parliamentary, or hybrid?

11. What are the perils of the presidential system?

12. What are the advantages of the parliamentary system?

13. What are the possible weaknesses of the parliamentary system?

14. The hybrid model with a strong presidency – was that not what Marcos wanted?

15. Could federalism lead to a breakup of the country?

16. Will federalism lead to more capture by political dynasties? Will dynasties proliferate even more under federalism?

17. Will federalism lead to more corruption among local officials as what happened in ARMM in the 1990’s?

18. What are the specific risks of unintended consequences arising from federalism?

19. How can poorer states support themselves?

20. How could we improve on the IRA under a new federal system

21. What are the conditions for federalism to succeed?

22. Where will sovereignty reside: federal or state governments? Will there be state constitutions and flags?

23. Who will control the police force? Can state or local governments set up their own police force?

24. How will taxes be collected and divided?

25. What about the powers of cities? Would there be more independent cities under federalism? What is the relationship between the regional governments and cities?

26. Which functions of the national government will be devolved? Which functions will be retained and why?

27. How will national elections be conducted?

28. Who will preside over the conservation of tangible and intangible legacies & heritage?

29. Is the Bangsamoro bill subsumed intact under federalism?

30. What are the possible political divisions of the country under a federal system? What factors could guide the formation of these divisions?

31. What are the three major types of reforms commonly considered by those who are seeking to change a country’s political system?

32. Based on comparative experience, what major principles are important to consider before embarking on processes of political reform?

33. How is one to define whether –in comparative perspective – a country is relatively more centralized or decentralized?

34. It is commonly asserted that the Philippines has long been a highly centralized country. Is this really true, based on the historical record?

35. How does the Philippines compare with its neighbors in its degree of centralization or decentralization?

36. If the ultimate goal is to give authority and responsibility to lower levels of government, why is there a need for central steering? Isn’t that contradictory?

37. If federalism requires strong institutional capacity at the national level in order to ensure effective central steering, what are the institutional requirement of federalism at the subnational level?

38. If federalism is the answer, what is the question?

The book launch program moderated by Melo Acuna consisted of messages from the authors and reactors – former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr., father of the Local Government Code and the Cooperative Code, and one of the pioneers in pushing the federal structure of government, and yours truly, welcome remarks from Ateneo University Press director Karina Bolasco, an open forum, and book signing.