Federalism and its Application in the Philippines Health Care Sector (Basic Guide)

Hours ago, I posted about how the medical sector are affected in conflict states (particularly Middle East and North Africa) here . At this juncture, I will share to you how the Health Care Sector be affected with the shifting of system of governance in the Philippines.

Note: I have shared this basic guide to my boyfriend Kenneth for one of his classes. Feel free if you think I should be corrected. It would be a pleasure if I would learn more about the topic at hand from experts as I am still new to the social science field.

Before we tackle about the effects of federalism in terms of the healthcare system in the Philippines , let us have a simple understanding of what federalism is.

Federalism is a system of government that distributes the inherent power of the national or central government to different states and other government agencies. As I could remember, federalism started in post-war Europe.

To some political scientists, it is regarded as decentralization or sharing of power. In simple terms, it is like you were all given a pie and everyone gets an equal share of it.

It is in contrast with unitary type of government wherein the central authority holds the power, and confederation wherein in the states have the upper-hand in terms of governing the country. It is about giving a pie but not everyone gets an equal share, someone would be given a bigger share than the rest.

Illustration on Confederation, the exact opposite of this wherein the Central Government holds power is called Unitary

Take note that the term state used here refers to the division of provinces in a bigger state (which is composed of the prerequisites such as population, international recognition, sovereignty, and constitution).

Application of Federalism

Most of the countries in the world has already adopted various types of federal type of government. United States of America for one is a common example of a federal state which gives power to 50 states to exercise the right to make laws and statutes. Countries like India and other countries in Asia has adopted federalism too. I learned this from my Contemporary Asia-Pacific and Contemporary South Asia class.

Meanwhile in the Philippines, the recent administration and opposition has still been debating whether or not the Philippines should adopt federalism and disregard the unitary system of government which has been applied since the creation of the country.

Steps had been taken even before the idea was spurred out in the national television and caused a ruckus or debate among political scientists and advocates of good governance. The Local Government Code was crafted by the former Senator Aquilino 'Nene' Pimentel in preparation of transition of government but importance was not given to the intention of applying federalism. Sen. Nene Pimental had a talk in regard with Federalism and we got to ask him questions about this issue.

It is important to take note that the intention of applying federalism in the Philippines is to promote the welfare and standard of living of every Filipino people. It is to achieve poverty reduction, decrease the mortality rate, and improve the lives of those who are in the marginalized sector. Actually, every laws and statutes were made for the betterment of everyone in the country or the interest of the state.

When asked whether the application of federalism is good or bad, it is important to consider that there are numerous types of federal type of government. Each one of it has pros and cons. It is also important to take note how to apply it in the country. On my honest opinion, it should require a thorough research or study. Instead of helping improve the lives of every Filipino people, it may hamper.

To legally apply this new form of government in the country, it could either be made using contitutional convention, charter change, people's initiative, or constitutional commision. Few political organization seeks for the Philippines to consider a parliament type of government while applying federalism to allow a systematize flow of conversation among the parliament members. While some are pushing for a confederation for other areas in the country to improve especially those in Visayas and Mindanao.

Application of federalism can also be good or bad in line with how states are divided, especially on how boundaries are made. It is important to consider whether or not these regions can stand on its own without a huge intervention of the national government just like what has been going on in the county. In the recent news coming from the Malacanan Palace, the administration wants to make the federal state of Mindanao, federal state of Visayas, federal state of Bangsamoro, federal state of Metro Manila, and federal state of Luzon. The administration should make cultural consideration because it may lead to cultural clashes. If applied in wrong manner and timing (too), it may lead to clashes fellow brothers who believes in Islam, Christianity, and are lumad. Federalism may also develop or hamper the growth of different industries.

Political maturity also needs to be considered. Bangsamoro for one has been known for its inconsistent and bad governance because most of the areas has been ruled by people who are notorious in using guns and goons to win the local and national elections.

In regard with the health sector which is our main issue, federalism can be a key to its development. If successfully applied, federalism will allow decrease of mortality rate as the federal states have inherited the capacity to come up with policies without waiting for it to be approved by the national government.

The education sector goes with health sector in crafting policies as some vaccinations occur in schools and there is health education in schools which is important for children and teenagers. When federalism is applied in the county, it has been known that the Department of Education and Department of National Defense are the government agencies that would remain centralized. If DOH will be decentralized, federal states can then focus relevant and existing issues in their communities instead of waiting for the national government to give directives. It does not necessarily mean it could act autonomously though. In other words, the actions taken would be directed to the community involved.

In conclusion, change is the only constant thing in this world and it is important to note how ready the country for that change before considerating a rapid shift of our government.

Sources:
Definition of Federalism: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/federalism
Series of Forum on Federalism attended

Some photos are taken from pixabay.

About the Blogger/ Writer

Johanna Gail Tongco, or also known as @gailbelga has completed her academic requirement on her Masters Degree with the Program Public Administration at University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines. She graduated honorable mention among her batch at Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan taking up Bachelor of Arts in International Studies while graduating as university scholar. She has served on various non-governmental organization which includes Move This World, Philippines Inc. which sought to eradicate the discrimination among the conflicting areas in Philippines especially Mindanao. The organization won the prestigious award which is Ten Accomplished Youth Organization (TAYO) in the Philippines. She seeks to serve her community and other communities using Steemit as a platform/tool for information, education, and communication. She also enjoys inspiring others through art and share stories based on real stories.