Federalism

One of President Duterte’s famous lines is “Change is coming” and one his goals is to change our form of government from unitary to federal.

Federalism has been one of the most recognizable words in the past year. Past administrations talked about it but it has become a trending topic under President Rodrigo Duterte, who can be considered as its leading advocate in the country. Federalism is still a hot issue up to this day.

In a federal government, the power is decentralized. The national government will focus on foreign affairs and the local government on domestic affairs.

Federalism has already been adopted by several countries like Canada, Australia, Germany, Switzerland and many more.

This form of government would be beneficial because it protects us from tyranny since power will be divided and can’t be controlled by a single person.

It also increases the participation among individuals since one will no longer have to go to the national government to get certain projects done. States may implement projects that they see fit and that would help improve the lives of their constituents without them having to ask permission or budget from the national government.

But there are also downsides, among them inequality and competition among the different local governments or states. Nonetheless, there are still remedies to curb the weaknesses of a federal government.

This proposal should therefore be considered at this point in time. Federalism could be a tool for this country to soar high and attain the progress and development that every Filipino wants to happen.--Clarence Mae B. Basallo