MY VIEWS ABOUT FEDERALISM: A PARADIGM SHIFT

FEDERALISM to me is an answer to the issues arising in our midst as a nation such as inequality. If we try to look at our political framework, we are bombarded with varying laws and rules enacted by our law-makers. Sometimes, we could not grasp the rationality of it since it appears to be subjective since it is based on the needs and demands of the few. The voices coming from the grassroots level are not heard.

In terms of developmental programs, it is very tangible that Manila is more developed with an all-weather road network while, by seeing the other side of the coin, even municipalities have poor roads. Better these days that the Department of Public Works and Highways have already considered the road widening in our major thoroughfares. But in the previous years, Mindanao is far, far behind.

This is truly a sad reality that we are a “ONE NATION” but we do not grow together, maybe for reasons of our diversities not to mention the biases of some of our political leaders. This idea of inequality exists in our mind set because we can see how the people in Luzon enjoy the benefits of modernization, while our brothers in the hinterlands are still living in the primitive way. Maybe, we cannot solely point out our political set-up to be the cause of this, because whether we like it or not, this is also caused by the negligence of our local leaders and civil servants. However, summing it up, these can all be resolved in decentralization since our endeavours are focused within our region and our resources are maximized.

Although, our local governments which are yet within the third or fourth class maybe greatly affected since due its dependency on the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA), yet through federalism, said government units will be encouraged to maximize their capacities, explore and exploit their resources for them to stand. We do not say that in Federalism, we are detaching ourselves totally from the national government. It is but logical for us to learn to stand on our own in order to immediately and appropriately address our needs which may be different from the needs of other regions. We are all Filipinos, but like other races, we have different behaviours, we have different life patterns and we have different view point about development and about life, in general. The very reason that we have to be given a chance to utilize our capacities we, foremost, know what we need without lobbying for its resolution from the national government.

Federalism is about empowerment and dissolution of schism because whatever form of government we will be having, we cannot deny that we are one as Filipinos. Only that we are trying to be more focused, not competing with the toils of other regions, but competing with the challenges existing in our respective localities. It is true that regions have different ethnicities, we have different culture and traditions that somehow affect the behaviour of our government thus, we are the ones who has the wide understanding on what programs that will suit and meet the needs of the people. After all, in public service, it is always the satisfaction of the general public who will prevail and not of the few. With this, I should say that it is but apt and proper that we will shift to federalism. How can we know the gauge of our strengths and vulnerabilities if we do not try. Federalism is not the end of the world to those who object it, it is but a reasonable shift from the unitary form of government in order for us to grow fruitfully and together, as One Filipino, we can join hands together fulfilling the aspirations of our people.