UNDERSTANDING FEDERALISM
The government has been campaigning to shift the current government system to a federal form but have they been communicating it properly?
We are in the specific time of our generation where the society cannot simply talk about federalism in the Philippines. People debate about it every now and then.
A number of the Filipinos do not understand or are having a hard time understanding what federalism is. This could simply mean that it was not properly explained in ways the average person can understand. We are given a hundred and sixteen pages of federal constitution draft by the Consultative Committee (ConCom) to read with jargons only few could even comprehend.
During the seminar-workshop for media practitioners on Understanding Federalism in the Philippine Context last Octo-
ber 8 to 10, 2018 at VIP Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City, speakers pointed out that federalism is not just about pushing for a new system of government visà-vis constitutional change. It creates the questions like: What is the value of a federal system? Are federated regions or states in this caser even necessary to securing the benefits attributed to a federal structure? What is the scope of federal power? What role does federalism play in contemporary debates on issues such as (but not limited to) peace process, Bangsamoro, health care, exploitation of natural resources, and taxation? And the questions go on.
While there are other countries with a successful federal form of government, Professor Andreas Heinemann-Grüder of the Department of Political Science of Friedrich-Wilhelm University of Bonn, said there is no single global model for federalism that needs to be followed by the Philippines.
He said federalism in Philippines should depend on the principal goal of the country, for instance, economic development and decentralization. This is because there has been a huge economic discrepancy between the Metro Manila and other areas in Mindanao and Visayas.
Former Director-General of the Congressional Planning and Budget Office, Rodolfo Vicerra, during his presentation on the salient points of the Draft Charter, said the shift to federalism is very costly. The approved projected budget of ConCom is around P8 billion, however, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) estimated an amount of P245 billion for the shift alone.
While there are a lot of things that seemed to resolve issues in the country, there are still some points that should be addressed clearly. Like for instance, the budget, the timeline, communication plan, point persons, among others.
“The problem was… he [President Rodrigo Duterte] actually was the problem. Why? Because he went around campaigning on federalism not knowing what federalism is,” Malou Tiquia, CEO and Founder of Publicus Asia, Inc., said during her response to the discussed salient points of the Draft Charter.
She said the shift to federalism is only about political and economic power and that the Duterte administration should focus on creating a communication plan as the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) failed to inform the general public with “pepe’s” and “dede’s” and have a specific point person for federalism.
“Paano mo iko-communicate and napakahirap na federalism na topic? The ‘pepe-dede’ is an insult to all federalists. How do you communicate with ‘pepe’s and dede’s’?,” Tiquia said.
One reactor, Attorney Romel Bagares, Executive Director for the Center of International Law Philippines, also suggested that before the federalism shift, Filipinos should throw away toxic political and Filipino cultures and strongly implement the anti-dynasty law.
“If we are not talking on the same page, if we don’t understand why we need federalism, it’s all useless,” Bagares said.
The President has a clear goal for the country under his leadership, the shift to federalism.
“Read my lips again: federalism. Why is this important? Because federalism is all about bringing the government closer to its people,” Rodolfo Vicerra, former director for Congressional Planning and Budget Department at the House of Representatives, said, reading the speech of President Duterte about federalism.
“The trouble with the past and current efforts to amend the constitution is that we never learn. We have always lauded our efforts with so many issues. I say for once, let us focus. Let’s do it one at a time. Let’s do it now. So let me repeat, federalism. That is what I campaign for,” he added.