Federalism for the Philippines: Proposals and Positions

It is widely known that pockets in the political and social arena has been active in proposing federal structure of
government in the Philippines. These calls has been more highlighted after the passing of the 1986
constitution, with almost every administration after President Aquino proposed, or has been proposed to, policies for
building a federal
government. Arguments for federalism for the Philippines vary - some propose it to promote auton
omy, especially in areas with cultural importance, such as Muslims
in Mindanao. Others promote the scheme for better accountability and more efficient
governance, while some propose it for economic and social reform. While the positions, methods and
systems being proposed vary, these groups have been united that a Federal Republic of the Philippines is indeed
necessary. These paper will shed light into federalism and its aspects. It will also give a briefing on
the current situation of federalization in the country and the contending views for its establishment.
A position will be made by the group at the end of the paper.

Definition of Terms Federalism

Federalism is the theory or advocacy of federal principles for dividing powers between member units and
common institutions. Unlike in a unitary state, sovereignty in federal political orders is non-
centralized, often constitutionally, between at least two levels so that units at each level have final
authority and can be self governing in some issue area. Citizens thus have political obligations to,
or have their rights secured by, two authorities. The division of power between the member unit
and center may vary, typically the center has powers regarding defense and foreign policy, but member units
may also have international roles. The decision-making bodies of member units may also participate in central
decision-making bodies. Much recent discussion is spurred by renewed political interest in federalism, coupled with
data concerning the requisite and legitimate basis for stability and trust among citizens in federal
systems. Academics have addressed the dilemmas and opportunities facing Canada, Australia
and states inEurope, among others, where federal arrangements are seen as interesting solutions to accommodate
differences among populations divided by ethnic or cultural cleavages yet seeking a common,
often democratic, political order.

Decentralization
It is the dispersion or distribution of functions and powers; the delegation of power
from acentral authority to regional and local authorities. It includes
the dispersal of administration or governance in sectors or area such as engineering,
management science, political science, political economy, sociology and economics. Decentralization is
also possible in the dispersal of population
andemployment. Law, science and technological advancements lead to highly decent
ralized humanendeavours.
Confederation
A confederation in modern political terms is a permanent union of political units for
commona c t i o n i n r e l a t i o n t o o t h e r u n i t s . U s u a l l y c r e a t e d b y t r e a t y b u t o f t e n
l a t e r a d o p t i n g a c o m m o n constitution, confederations tend to be established for dealing
with critical issues such as defense, foreign affairs or a common currency, with the central government being
required to provide support for all
members.T h e n a t u r e o f t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p a m o n g t h e s t a t e s c o n s t i t u t i n g a c o n f e
d e r a t i o n v a r i e s considerably. Likewise, the relationship between the member states,
the central government and the distribution of powers among them, is highly variable.
Some looser confederations are similar to intergovernmental organizations, while tighter
confederations may resemble federations.

Local Government
Local government is a form of public administration which in a majority of contexts, exists as the
lowest tier of administration within the a given state. The term is used to contrast with offices
ats t a t e l e v e l , w h i c h a r e r e f e r r e d t o a s t h e c e n t r a l g o v e r n m e n t , n a t i o n a l g o v
e r n m e n t , o r ( w h e r e appropriate) federal government. Local governments generally act within powers
delegated to them by legislation or directives of the higher level of government. In primitive societies the lowest level
of local government is the village headman or tribal chief.

transition of “regionalization” and increased local autonomy involving both the nati
onalgovernment and the local
governments.2 . T h e 1 9 8 7 C o n s t i t u t i o n ’ s d e s i g n f o r t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f p a r t i c i p
a t o r y d e m o c r a c y, l o c a l autonomy, and an active role for civil society in governance
was a result of the
growingdifficulties and frustration with the country’s highly centralized unitary sys
tem during theauthoritarian regime that started in September 1972.3.Federalism will respond to the
demands of local leaders for their release from the costly, time-consuming, stifling, and
demoralizing effects of excessive centralization and controls by the national government in the present
unitary system.4.The structures, processes, and responsibilities of the federation will challenge and
energize the people and their state and local governments. Such further democratization will
encourage creativity, initiative and innovation, spur interstate competition, and foster state
and local self-reliance instead of continued dependency.5.A federal system will greatly increase
the capacity of the people and the government to deal with the country’s problems.
They will be more interested in state and local
governanceb e c a u s e i t i s c l o s e r t o t h e m a n d w i l l d e a l w i t h u n d e r -
d e v e l o p m e n t – l o c a l p o v e r t y , unemployment, injustice, inadequate social services and
infrastructure, and low productivity.6.Consolidating the 80 provinces of the Philippines into 8
to 10 larger, integrated and more efficient and viable regions called states, substantial, faster and equitable
development for the whole country is more likely to be achieved.7.By participating in meaningful and
challenging politics and governance at the state and local levels, the people will be more
empowered than if they continued to be alienated from
their weak local governments and spectators in the affairs
of far away national government institutions in the nation’s capital. Moreover, the people’s liberty will
be protected by the further dispersion of power in the government and the society.8.By governing the
nation through interdependence and interaction with the states as regional
governments, the federal government will be better able to achieve and sustain national unity and
identity. At the same time, the states will be able to nurture, protect and enhance
their regional cultures and contribute to national cultural development. Together, the
federalgovernment and the states will be able to develop and sustain the nation’s cultural
diversity and social pluralism.9.A federal system will also be better able to respond to the external
threats to national security and the challenges of globalization by strengthening the nation-state’s capacity to
deal with its critical internal problems and development.10.As a special metropolitan government, Metro
Manila, the present national capital, will have the structure of a state and will be able to deal more
effectively with its problems as the nation’s principal metropolis. A planned new federal capital at
the former Clark Air Base in Central Luzon will enable the federal government to function more
efficiently by having the principal institutions and offices of the federation located in proximity to one another.
Advantages and Disadvantages
One advantage in a federal government is that the government remains close to people. Each province has political,
social and economic problems peculiar to the region itself. Provincial government representatives live in proximity
to the people and are most of the time from the same community, so they are in a better position to understand these
problems and offer unique solutions for them. This expands government on national, state, and local levels, giving
people more access to leaders and opportunities to get involved in their government. A federal government
encourages development of the nation in a decentralized and regional manner and allows for
unique and innovative methods for attacking social, economic and political problems. It offers
representation to different populations. Citizens of various provinces may have different
aspirations, ethnicity and follow different cultures. The central government can sometimes
overlook these differences and adopt policies which cater to the majority. This is where the
regional government steps in. While formulating
policies, local needs, tastes and opinions are given due consideration by the state governments.
Rights of the minorities are also protected. State governments have the freedom to adopt policies which may not be
followed nationally or by any other state. This gives federalism a room for innovation and
experimentation. Two local governments can have two different approaches to bring reforms
in any area of public domain, be it taxation or education. The comparison of the results of these
policies can give a clear idea of which
p o l i c y i s b e t t e r a n d t h u s , c
a n b e a d o p t e d i n t h e f u t u r e .
Division of work between the central and the regional governments leads to optimum utilization of resources. The
central government can concentrate more on international affairs and defense of the country while the provincial
government can cater to the local needs. Federalism also ensures the separation of powers and prevents tyranny.
Even if one person or group took control of all three branches of the federal government,
federalism ensures that state governments would still function independently. Federalism,
therefore, fulfills the framers’ vision of a governmental structure that ensures liberty. Lastly, it fosters state
loyalties. Many people feel close ties to their home state, and federalism maintains that connection by giving
power to the states and it provides a barrier to the dominance of the majority. However, the sharing
of power between the central government and the states includes
bothadvantages and disadvantages of federation. Sometimes there can be overlappin
g of work andsubsequent confusion regarding who is responsible for what. It can lead
to duplication of government and inefficient, over-lapping or contradictory making of policies in different parts
of the country. Another disadvantage would be that federalism can lead to over-
government that willeventually result to corruption because of the too many elected representatives with
overlapping roles. Federalism can also lead to inequality between the states and lead to unhealthy
competition and rivalry between them. There can be a rebellion by a regional government against
the national government too. Both scenarios pose a threat to the country's integrity.
Also, natural resources, industries, employment opportunities differ from region to region.
Hence earnings and wealth are unevenly distributed. Rich states offer more opportunities and
benefits to its citizens than poor states can. Thus, the gap between rich and poor states widens. Federalism
can make the state governments selfish and concerned only about their own
region’s progress. They can formulate policies
which might be detrimental to other regions. For example, pollution from a province wh
ich is promoting industrialization in a big way can affect another region which depends solely on agriculture and
cause crop damage. It is also said that federal system of government is very expensive as more people are elected to
office, both at the state and the center, than necessary. Thus, it is often said that only rich countries can afford it.
Challenges to Philippine Federalism
Research has shown that the Philippines has a long tradition of a unitary form of government since
the Spanish period, and with this tradition, it seems that people are stuck thinking that it is the
appropriate form of government for the country (Brillantes and Moscare, 2002). While "imperial Manila"has taken
steps in promoting local autonomy, including the introduction of a local government code
in1 9 5 9 , 1 9 8 3 a n d 1 9 9 1 , i t h a s b e e n n o t e d t h a t o v e r c e n t r a l i z a t i o n o f p o w e r s
s t i l l e x i s t . L o c a l governments, expected to act entrepreneurial and be bold in developing their
communities, still depend on "allotments" to fund their operations rather than generating their own resources. Lack
of resources and capabilities at the local level and the inability of local institutions to cope with the
demands of decentralized set-up can be blamed for this. In the preparation for a federal system in the country, the
national government must start to be more decentralized. By allowing the local governments (and later
on, states) to be self-reliant, local leaders will be trained on the different roles they will have to fulfill in a new,
federal set-up. Capability-building, and not just mere changes in structure is needed for the
local governments to function effectively. They must also be oriented to respond to community needs.
By introducing federalism in the Philippines, there are issues and concerns regarding it that has
yet to be confronted. (Brillantes, 2002). Federalism, for most people, is seen to be a solution
for regional aspirations for autonomy and end war and regional disparities, especially in Mindanao. But for the
most part, some groups such as the Moros, want a "separate nation", and not autonomy. In this
case, there is a need for space to define issues between the future federal government
and the separatists, convincing them that a federal state is an acceptable alternative. Another challenged
to be faced in pushing for a federal system is the need for a broad and participatory engagement in the
deliberation process. While members of the academe, civil society and other interests groups were engaged in
pushing for reform, most of them had to "back off".(Rodriguez,2011) More than just pushing for federalism
by stating its advantages and how it can reform political and social institutions, there is a need to convince
people on how federalism will impact their every day lives. Various sectors must be allowed and
encouraged to participate, and time must be given to thoroughly discuss and debate the different
proposals being proposed.
Conclusion
After the Philippines promulgated a new constitution in 1987, the country has faced a number of
proposals and attempts to change the country's form of government from a unitary to federal form
of g o v e r n m e n t . N o n e o f t h e s e p r o p o s a l s h a v e b e e n s u c c e s s f u l l y p a s s e d o r p
u t i n t o a n a t i o n a l referendum.Examining the literature on federalism, whether in the
Philippines or abroad would show
whyfederalism is, indeed, needed for the country. Federalism would ensure better ac
countability, for elected officials are closer to their districts and will better
represent their interests. It can spur economic growth as states determine ways that is applicable to
local resources and strengths. Finally, a federal government can ensure social and cultural development, as regional
aspirations and cultures can be protected and developed while still ensuring national
unity.T h e g r o u p c o n c l u d e d t h a t a f e d e r a l f o r m o f g o v e r n m e n t s h o u l d b e i n t r
o d u c e d i n t h e Philippines. However, we reserve giving a comment on the form of
the federal government to be established, for we believe it should be determined and
debated in a constitutional assembly or convention.

Works Cited
Abueva, Jose (2002). Towards a Federal Republic of the Philippines with a Parliamentary
Government: AReader. Manila: Kalayaan College.
Alinio, B. F. (2008). Philippine Local Government Officials Perceptions of Decentralization
and Its Effectso n Local Governments' Administrative Capabilities.
W a s h i n g t o n , D . C . : T h e G e o r g e W a s h i n g t o n University.
Breul, Jonathan. (2008). Federal Government Reform: Lessons from Clinton's "Reinventing
Government"a n d B u s h ' s " M a n a g e m e n t A g e n d a " I n i t i a t i v e s . N e w J e r s e y: A m e r i
can Society for Public