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HIS would be my last piece on federalism. For now, that is. The federalist movement has barely shifted into gear and there will surely be occasions in the near future to discuss it some more. Anyway, this last one is about one more opportunity and one more caveat.

The opportunity lies in the structure of federalism that allows autonomous region-states to craft their own constitutions, have their own legislatures, courts, heads of state, and other officials that would protect, promote and implement constitutional provisions. Region-states may not contradict the federal constitution but they can adapt their local constitution as best they could to their unique regional situation.

These constitutions are critical instruments for the region-state’s cohesive and dynamic pursuit of their political, economic and cultural goals. Autonomous regions can be helped in this, if needs be, by the federal government but the advantage now is they can move forward as best they could without having to look behind them for the approving nod and funding of not-anymore-imperial Manila.

Fiscal federalism (please look this up in the mean time as space does not allow me to explain it fully here) will see to it that they collect locally the revenues (taxes, fees, etc.) needed to fund whatever services they deliver locally. Fiscal federalism also takes care of giving grants to economically weak states even as it promotes healthy economic competition among the more stable and stronger states.

The caveat has to do with the historical context of our shift to federalism. Most if not all successful federal countries started with autonomous, politically stable and economically progressive region-states that agreed to federate to achieve political, economic and cultural synergy. Germany, for instance, emerged from the federation of politically mature and economically self-sufficient region-states while the United States of America rose to power from the union of independent American states.

We, however, are federating the other way around. We are starting with a central government that has failed to make the provinces politically stable and economically progressive because of central control that promotes a culture of dependency among subordinate provinces.

We are, therefore, not federating to achieve synergy. We federate in the desperate hope that federalism would break the cycle of dependence and finally put autonomous regions on the road to genuine democracy and economic inclusivity.

This is a problem because we are still vulnerable to the machinations of insincere politicians who, even as we write, are doing everything to try to get us back to where we were before Rodrigo Duterte became president.