Promote federalism grounded on reality - DILG Asec

DEPARTMENT of the Interior and Local Government Assistant Secretary Jonathan Malaya urged participants to a federalism communications campaign workshop to sell federalism grounded on reality, not on promises, but a shared-vision which is an investment in the future.

“Let us not create grandiose dreams for our country just because we need to campaign. Let’s be truthful to them,” Malaya told participants to a Communication Planning Workshop for the Federalism Campaign for Luzon Cluster held recently at the Linden Suites Hotel in Ortigas, Manila.

“Federalism is not an elixir or a cure-all drug; it is an investment in the future yearning for something better for the country’. It is the cornerstone of the agenda of change of the Duterte administration,” he added.

While there are many changes taking place in the present administration, the key to achieve more changes to happen is through a shift to a federal system of government, he said. The change in the governance system also needs good people to run it, he added.

Malaya said the unitary form of government has been there 500 years ago under the Spanish regime then under the American colonization, Japanese system until the country became a

republic, an independent nation under Pres. Roxas, the 1935, 1973 and to date under the 1987 Constitution.

“But if we continue with the system, the rich people will continue to be rich, the poor people will continue to be poor, the rich regions will continue to be rich, the poor regions will continue to be poor, the rich provinces will continue to be rich, the poor provinces will continue to be poor. All of the poor will go to the rich regions, the result, traffic in the urban areas and all of the problems besetting urban life,” he further added.

Malaya said the solution to the nation’s problems is creating growth centers across the country for jobs generation, employment and business financing which would happen in the federal system.

The DILG Asec explained the in depth concept of federalism cannot yet be discussed because the form is still being debated by the Consultative Commission. There is no bible about federalism anywhere, we develop our own model of federalism, he said.

The campaign should be grounded on reality, grounded on facts, grounded on evidence which scientists call as problem-driven and evidenced-based, according to Malaya. PIA - CAR