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Decentralization and Federalism in the Philippines: Lessons from Global Community1 Alex B Brillantes! "r and Donna #oscare$ % %ntroduction The Philippine geography makes travel and communication difficult, time-consuming and costly. Composed of several islands, the highly centralized unitary form of government is ineffective in dealing with contingencies in far-flung parts of the country. The administration and power is concentrated in Manila which results to inequita le development among the different regions. !evelopment is inequita le and stunted ecause there is difficulty in reaching and responding to the needs of remote areas. !ecentralization was seen as a response to this dilemma in governance. "t will help in the development of the nation y ringing the government closer to the people through administrative de-concentration and political devolution. "t has een reasoned that this strategy will facilitate faster delivery of needed asic services and promote participatory governance. #ith this underlying rational for decentralization, the country has witness various legislations and strategies enacted and introduced to further local autonomy and promote good governance. $ne of the landmark legislations is the %ocal &overnment Code of '((' which has een functioning for over a decade now. )ecently, some scholars, politicians and e*perts are looking into the federal option as the ne*t step for Philippine governance. There are undergoing discussions, not only in the Philippines ut in other +sian countries as well, on adopting the federal system. ,ome argued that federalism is the ne*t logical step after devolution. "n the Philippines, advocates of federalism elieve that the structure of the federal system would respond to the geographical o stacle and differences caused y cultural diversity on governance ecause it allows fragmentation while at the same time promoting national interest. "t is also claimed that the federal structure will accelerate the country-s development and end the internal conflicts rought y separatist movements in Mindanao. The first section of the paper provides an overview of decentralization and federalism in the Philippines. The second part provides the conte*t of decentralization in the Philippines. The third section discusses federalism as the ne*t step for the Philippine politico-administrative system. The fourth part discusses some issues and concerns that the Philippines should address vis-.-vis adopting a federal structure of government.

!iscussion paper presented at the "nternational Conference of the /ast #est Center, 0uala %umpur, Malaysia, 1uly '-2, 3443. This paper draws from the earlier paper y !r. 5rillantes many local and international conferences. #e are grateful to !r 1ose 6. + ueva who generously allowed us to use his pu lications as reference.
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!r. 5rillantes 7Ph! 8niversity of 9awaii: is +ssociate Professor of Pu lic +dministration at the 8niversity of the Philippines 78P: ;ational College of Pu lic +dministration and &overnance 7;CP+&:, and !irector of the Center for %ocal and )egional &overnance 7C%)&: of the ;ational College of Pu lic +dministration and &overnance. Ms. Moscare is a )esearch +ssistant of the +sian )esource Center for !ecentralization of the C%)&, ;CP+&, 8P.

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%% Decentralization and De&olution in the Philippines' Most political historians agree that the Philippines had a long tradition of centralized government. /ver since the arrival of the ,paniards in '23', the Philippine islands have always een ruled from the national capital, Manila, to a point that ecause of the e*cessive centralization, it has een derisively referred to as <imperial Manila.< +lmost five hundred years later, the vestiges of centralization remain due largely to the inertia rought a out y deeplyrooted centralized administrative and ureaucratic procedures, hierarchical and organizational arrangements, e*acer ated y a culture predisposed to dependency, and mindsets that look condescendingly upon local level institutions. "f anything, it certainly has een a difficult task to undo centuries-old centrally-oriented institutions, structures, procedures, practices, ehaviors, mindsets and culture. The roots of autonomy among local units and institutions have een in e*istence even efore the arrival of the ,paniards. The classic work of then ,enator 7later President: 1ose P. %aurel written in '(3=, Local Government in the Philippine Islands,> an essential reader for local autonomy scholars and practitioners, traces this. The following are among the milestones in ?ilipino local autonomy identified y %aurel@ %ocal villages 7 arangay: of the Philippine archipelago have een e*istent even efore the arrival of the ,panish colonizers. They were, for all intents and purposes, autonomous territorial and political units headed y a monarchical chieftain called the datu, panginoo or pangolo.2 #ith the arrival of the ,paniards, these arangays and tri al organizations were adapted y the colonial authorities to ecome administrative units each headed y the ca eza de arangay whose main responsi ility was collection of ta*es. +s they e*panded and grew, some arangays evolved into pue los. Pue los were composed of po laciones 7town centers:, arrios 7rural settlements: and visitas 7municipal districts.:= "n 'A(B, the ,panish colonizers enacted the Maura %aw. This was descri ed y %aurel as <,painCs elated and half-hearted tri ute to ?ilipinos- a ility in self-government,< the Maura %aw included the esta lishment of tri unales, municipales and Duntas provinciales. 9owever, inspite of the law, a centralized regime still prevailed with the <retention of rights and prerogatives y the principalia class, the straight-laced centralization of powers, the continued intervention of the church in ,tate affairs, the limited franchise granted, the inadequate election method devised and enforced, and the defected 7sic: financial system instituted.<E
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This part of the paper was drawn from an earlier paper y !r. 5rillantes entitled F!ecentralization and !evolution in the Philippines@ /*periences and %essons %earned +fter a !ecadeG presented at the "nternational Conference on the ;ew !evelopments in %ocal !emocracy in +sia@ +ppraising a !ecade of /*perience, Pro lems and Prospects< held at the ,eoul ;ational 8niversity, ,eoul, 0orea, +pril E to (, 3443.
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1ose P. %aurel, Local Government in the Philippine Islands, Manila@ %a Pilarica Press, '(3=, p. 3A( 1uanito $rtiz, The Barangays of the Philippines, Huezon City@ 9iyas Press, '((=, p.' " id %aurel, op cit, p. 3(4.

"n 'A(A, against the short lived: Philippine )epu elected on a popular asis actually the language used period. %ocal law-making instituted.

ackdrop of the Philippine )evolution against ,pain, the first 7 ut lic under the Malolos Constitution was esta lished. $fficials were and <decentralization< and <administrative autonomy< 7which was in the Malolos Constitution: were among the rallying cries of the odies, namely the municipal and provincial assem lies, were

The +merican occupation of the Philippines in '(43-'(B2 saw the promulgation of a num er of policies promoting local autonomy. 5ut inspite of the enactment of policies purportedly supportive of local autonomy, the +mericans maintained a highly centralized politico-administrative structure. %argely ecause of security considerations, local affairs had to e under the control of the +mericans.A !uring the Commonwealth period 7'(B2-'(>=:, local governments in the Philippines was placed under the general supervision of the President following the provision em edded in +rticle 6"" ,ection "" of the '(>2 Constitution. +dditionally, the President, y statute, could alter the Durisdictions of local governments and in effect, create or a olish them. ( $campo and Pangani an note that the constitutional provision limiting the PresidentCs power to general supervision was a compromise measure su stituted for the stronger guarantee of local autonomy proposed during the constitutional convention. President Huezon preferred to appoint the chief officials of cities and would rook no <democratic nonsense.< The +mericans granted Philippine political independence in '(>=. "n '(2(, the first local autonomy act 7)+ 33=>: entitled <+n +ct +mending the %aws &overning %ocal &overnments y "ncreasing their +utonomy and )eorganizing Provincial &overnments< was enacted. This act vested in city and municipal governments greater fiscal, planning and regulatory powers. "t roadened the ta*ing powers of the cities and municipalities within the framework of national ta*ing laws. $n the same year, another landmark legislation as far as local autonomy is concerned was passed. The 5arrio Charter +ct 7)+ 3BE4: sought to transform the arrios, the smallest political unit of the local government system into quasi-municipal corporations y vesting them some ta*ing powers. 5arrios were to e governed y an elective arrio council. %ess than a decade later, the <!ecentralization +ct of '(=E< 7)+ 2'A2: was enacted. "t further increased the financial resources of local governments and roadened their decisionmaking powers over administrative 7mostly fiscal and personnel: matters. More specifically, the !ecentralization +ct provided that it will grant local governments greater freedom and ampler means to respond to the needs of their people and promote prosperity and happiness to effect a more equitable and systematic distribution of governmental power and resources. To this end, local governments henceforth shall be entrusted with the performance of those functions that are more properly administered in the local level and shall

)omeo 5. $campo and /lena Pangani an, The Philippine Local Government ystem. !istory, Politics and "inance, Manila@ %ocal &overnment Center, '(A2.
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$campo and Pangani an op. cit., p. 2

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be granted with as much autonomous powers and financial resources as are required in the more effective discharge of their responsibilities. The imposition of martial law in '(E3, which a olished local elections and vested in the dictator the powers to appoint local officials who were eholden to him, was a great set ack for the local autonomy movement in the Philippines. ;otwithstanding the highly centralized dictatorial set-up, the '(EB Marcos Constitution rhetorically committed itself to a policy of local autonomy@ The tate shall guarantee and promote autonomy of local government units, especially the barrio, to ensure their fullest development as self#reliant communities. The document likewise constitutionalized the ta*ing powers of local government units thus@ $ach local government unit shall have the power to create its own sources of revenue and to levy ta%es sub&ect to limitations as may be provided by law. 9owever, the President continued to e*ercise Csupervision and controlC over the local governments. ,till, the authoritarian government promulgated the %ocal &overnment Code of '(AB 75atas Pam ansa 5ilang BBE: which reiterated the policy of the ,tate to guarantee and promote the autonomy of local government units to ensure their fullest development as self#reliant communities and ma'e them effective partners in the pursuit of national development. $ viously, genuine autonomy could not authoritarian regime. e realistically implemented under the

The overthrow of Marcos in '(A= and the installation of Corazon +quino as President saw the promulgation of the ?reedom Constitution. "t provided that <the President shall have control and e*ercise general supervision over all local governments.G "t was this provision that ena led Mrs. +quino, through the Minister of %ocal &overnment, to remove local officials throughout the country whose loyalties were questiona le, and replace them with officers-incharge 7$"Cs:. ,een as an isolated act, the appointment of $"Cs may e seen as a set ack to the cause of local autonomy, ut viewed in its proper historicalIpolitical conte*t, it may e appreciated as a necessary measure in sta ilizing the immediate post-dictatorship transition government. + year later, the '(AE Constitution was promulgated. "t included specific provisions guaranteeing autonomy to local governments. +mong the maDor state policies articulated was the policy that <The ,tate shall ensure the autonomy of local governments<. +dditionally, +rticle J, ,ection B of the Constitution provides@ The (ongress shall enact a local government code which shall provide for a more responsive and accountable local government structure instituted through a system of decentrali)ation with effective mechanisms of recall, initiative, referendum, allocate among the different local government units their powers, responsibilities and resources, and provide for the qualifications, election, appointment and removal, term, salaries, powers and functions and duties of

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local officials, and all other matters relating to the organi)ation and operation of local units. /arlier historical attempts to decentralize power and authority to local institutions through various means are testimony to the fact that the pro lem of overcentralization is one that has een recognized - ut continued to persist - through the years. ?or instance, the decentralization of administrative authority 7 ut conspicuously unaccompanied y political decentralization: was a hallmark of the Marcos dictatorship. + %ocal &overnment Code was in fact enacted in '(AB. 5ut these attempts at decentralizing government remained simple administrative formalisms. Power continued to e concentrated in Manila with local units heavily dependent upon the central government. "n fact, efore the enactment of the Code, local governments were eginning not only to e restive ut also assertive, demanding that the um ilical cord that tied them to Manila e severed ecause this was the root cause ehind their stunted growth and underdevelopment. +s a result of this and in accordance with the provision stipulated in the '(AE Constitution, the %ocal &overnment Code 7also known as the %ocal +utonomy +ct: was enacted in '(('."t is considered the most radical and far reaching policy that addressed the decades-old pro lem of a highly centralized politico-administrative system with most significant political and administrative decisions concentrated in Manila. The enactment of the Code was welcomed y most sectors of society. "t radically transformed the nature of the power relationships etween the central government and the thousands of local governments in the countryside through the devolution process. "t finally transferred the responsi ility for the delivery of asic services to the local government units, including appropriate personnel, assets, equipment, programs and proDects. The following are the maDor features of the Code@ "t devolves to local government units- responsi ility for the delivery of various aspects of asic services that earlier were the responsi ility of the national government. These asic services include the following@ health 7field health and hospital services and other tertiary services:K social services 7social welfare services:K environment 7community ased forestry proDects:, agriculture 7agricultural e*tension and on-site research:K pu lic works 7funded y local funds:K education 7school uilding program:K tourism 7facilities, promotion and development:K telecommunications services and housing proDects 7for provinces and cities:K and other services such as investment support. "t devolves to local governments the responsi ility for the enforcement of certain regulatory powers, such as the reclassification of agricultural landsK enforcement of environmental lawsK inspection of food products and quarantineK enforcement of national uilding codeK operation of tricyclesK processing and approval of su division plansK and esta lishment of cockpits and holding of cockfights. The Code also provides the legal and institutional infrastructure for e*panded participation of civil society in local governance. More specifically, it allocates to nongovernmental organizations 7;&$s: and peopleCs organizations 7P$s: specific seats in local special odies. These special odies include the local development council, the local health oard, and the local school oard. 5ecause of their a ility to organize and mo ilize the people, one door wide open for ;&$ and P$ participation in governance

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are in the areas of promoting local accounta ility and answera ility, specifically through the recall and peopleCs initiative provisions. The Code increases the financial resources availa le to local government units y 7': roadening their ta*ing powersK 73: providing them with a specific share from the national wealth e*ploited in their area, e.g., mining, fishery and forestry chargesK and 7B: increasing their share from the national ta*es, i.e., internal revenue allotments 7")+:, from a previously low of ''L to as much as >4L. The Code also increases the el owroom of local governments to generate revenues from local fees and charges. ?inally, the Code lays the foundation for the development and evolution of more entrepreneurial-oriented local governments. ?or instance, it provides the foundations for local governments to enter into uild-operate-transfer 75$T: arrangements with the private sector, float onds, o tain loans from local private institutions, etc., all within the conte*t of encouraging them to e <more usiness-like< and competitive in their operations in contradistinction to <traditional< government norms and operations.

"ndeed, at the end of the day, local autonomy would mean less reliance upon national government, including <allotments< made y the national government, '4 and increased reliance upon internally generated resources, or resources Dointly generated with other institutions, e they other local government units, private institutions, etc. "t is within this conte*t that the Code encourages %&8s to e more aggressive and entrepreneurial. <&oing into usiness< with the private sector and, where appropriate, adapting private sector strategies, techniques and technologies to generate resources are encouraged y the Code. These ena le them to deliver the much needed asic services to the people. $ver a decade has passed since the passage of such landmark legislation. This short period has shown a num er of success stories at the local level. /nergies long held hostage y a highly centralized politico-governmental set-up were finally unleashed leading to creativeness, innovation and oldness among many local communities. 9owever, as in many radical pieces of legislation, its implementation has not een without its share of pro lems and challenges, ranging from lack of resources and capa ilities at the local level to continued lags rought a out y ina ility of institutions and processes to cope with the changes and demands rought a out y a decentralized set up. The Code has een in effect for the past decade. There have een de ates a out its advantages and disadvantages. "s the Code working, it has een asked. 9ave local governments een empowered in accordance to the spirit of local autonomyM 9ow have the devolved powers een used to ring a out good governance at the local levelM These and other related questions have een raised. Proposals to amend the Code ranging from effecting full devolution of the entire government to phased decentralization, to recentralization have een made and de ated. "t was within this conte*t that efforts have emerged to document good practices 7some prefer to use < est practices<: at the local level, to among other things, demonstrate that
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9owever, it must e noted that there are those who vehemently argue +&+";,T the prevailing notion especially among national government agencies that the ")+ < elongs< to the national government and is eing <shared< and <allotted< to %&8s out of the goodness of their heart. "t must e emphasized that the internal revenue allotment belongs to the local governments in the first place and the Do of the national government is simply to administer these resources.

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devolution is working. 9ence awards programs such as Galing Poo' of the +sian "nstitute of Management and the %ocal &overnment +cademy, the 9+M", awards of the !epartment of 9ealth and the &erman ?oundation for Technical Cooperation and !evelopment, the 0+M/ awards of the 0onrad +denauer ?oundation, and the various awards of the !epartment of the "nterior and %ocal &overnments including the Clean and &reen +ward and the Gawad Pamana ng Lahi +wards which has een variously referred to y local governments as the <$lympics of %ocal &overnment /*cellence.< The &overnance and %ocal !emocracy 7&$%!: ProDect has identified many simple ut innovative good practices at the local level in its various )apid ?ield +ppraisals. "n all these, one thing has emerged@ that devolution is working and that local autonomy has rought a out creativity, imagination and innovation at the local level. +ll these have shown that it is possi le to have good local governance under a devolved set up, governance here meaning the delivery of asic services to the people, not only y the local government, ut in partnership with the other sectors in the community. The countryside is dotted with illustrations of good and est practices of how local governments have creatively used their powers to ring a out good governance at the local level. ?or instance, we have seen how local governments have creatively generated additional resources y floating onds and therefore provide pu lic housing, something that was unheard of efore local autonomy. There are local governments that constructed pu lic markets through the 5uild-$perate-Transfer 75$T: mode. 9aving no resources availa le e*cept for the land, Mandaluyong entered into a partnership with the private sector through 5$T and has now constructed a pu lic market that has approached world-class standards. ,imilarly, a small municipality in "locos ;orte, !ingras, also entered into a variation of the 5$T to construct its pu lic market. #e have seen local governments float onds to meet pu lic housing requirements. 6ictorias, ;egros $ccidental and %egaspi City are e*amples of such. "n the area of environmental management and consciousness, contrary to the popular notion that proDects with social and environmental concerns are not politically e*pedient ecause results are not felt immediately as, say, pu lic works and infrastructure proDects are and therefore una le to deliver votes, e*perience has shown that many local governments in the country have place environmental considerations among their priority concerns. %ocal governments have entered into Doint ventures and cooperative arrangements within the conte*t of ma*imizing utility of resources. They have set up their own provincial investment and usiness councils to ma*imize their entrepreneurial capacities. The list of e*amples of good practices goes on. /fforts at recognizing good practices at the local level may e placed within the conte*t of proving that devolution is wor'ing. "n other words, local government units, using the creative powers devolved to them under the Code, and inspite of the many constraints, have een a le to respond to the enormous challenges rought a out y devolution. %%% Federalism in the Philippines The past decades has witnessed an increasing interest in federalism from around the glo e. Professor )onald #atts 73443: of Hueen-s 8niversity Canada on the "nternational Conference on ?ederalism held at ,witzerland this year noticed, FPolitical leaders, leading intellectuals and even some Dournalist increasingly speak of federalism as a healthy, li erating and positive form of organization. 5elgium, ,pain, ,outh +frica, "taly and the 8nited 0ingdom appear to e emerging towards new innovative federal forms, and in a num er of other

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countries some consideration has een given to the efficacy of incorporating some federal features, although not necessarily all the characteristics of a full fledged federation.G 9e mentioned that federalism provides a constitutional organization that allows action y a shared government for certain common purposes while permitting for autonomous action y constituent units of government for purposes that relate to preserving their distinctiveness, with each level directly responsi le to its electorate. 9e also cited three maDor lessons from the various e*periences on federalism since '(>2@ *"irst, federal political systems do provide a practical way of com ining, through representative institutions, the enefits of unity and diversity, ut they are no panacea for all of humanity-s political ills. econd, the degree to which a federal political system can e effective will depend upon the e*tent to which there is acceptance of the need to respect constitutional norms and structures and upon an emphasis on the spirit of tolerance and compromise, Third, effectiveness also depends upon whether the particular form or variant of federal system that is adopted or evolved gives adequate e*pression to the demands and requirements of the particular society in question.G'' + federal government would ena le the needs of a nation to e achieved while providing a space for diversity. +s a phrase goes, it provides Funity in diversityG. The federal structure devises a fle*i le arrangement for varying forms of self-government to suit different circumstances and contingencies. 9istory would show us several countries that used federalism in dealing with diversity. "n ,witzerland and Canada for instance, the adoption of federalism was, to some e*tent, a result of a need to accommodate diverse communities. +fter #orld #ar 3, "ndia, Malaysia and ;igeria used the federal mechanism to settle ethnic diversity. Pakistan also used the federal design to manage ethno-national diversity after it emerged as an independent state. "n the Philippines, some scholars, politicians and e*perts have een discussing the prospects of federalism as an approach to Philippine governance. Political scientist 1ose + ueva, for instance, espouses a transformation of the e*isting decentralized unitary system to a federal system y 34'4. 9e proposes that the transition to a federal state e done in two phases in a span of ten years starting 3444 to 34'4 to allow for a careful e*amination of proposed constitutional changes, discussions and e*changes of ideas throughout the nation, and acting on the changes together as a whole. The ten-year period will also prepare the nation for such a change in the political system. The first phase, according to him, will require the amalgamation of the e*isting '> administrative regions plus the +utonomous )egion of Muslim Mindanao 7+)MM: into '4 larger administrative regions and granting them more su stantial regional and local autonomy. This process that he calls FregionalizationG should continue until 344(-34'4. The second phase will e the constitutional amendments or revisions to institute a federal system as well as other reforms that will e drafted and completed in 344A-344(. The ratification will e done in a ple iscite to e held in 344(. 9e envisages the amended or revised constitution to take effect in 34'4. 9e also identified measures that should e taken in preparation for the transformation@

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#atts, )onald, The +elevance Today of the "ederal Idea, "nternational Conference on ?ederalism, ,witzerland, 3443.

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FMeanwhile we have to accelerate the process of government decentralization under the '(AE Constitution oth ways@ y de-concentrating national government administration to the regional centers and y devolving more national government functions to the local government units through continuing amendments to the %ocal &overnment Code of '(('. +t the same time, we have to reorient our peopleN towards greater self-reliance and responsi ility through local governance and development, including developing their capacity to raise more local revenues and generate funding for local development, and to attract investments.G'3 This political transformation is hoped to end the deeply rooted stifling centralized unitary structure in earlier administrations. ,till questions continue to persist regarding the proposal of adopting a federal system of governance in lieu of the present unitary form. #hy should the present unitary system of government e changed into a federal systemM "s it a panacea for the recurring Moro uprisings in central and southwestern MindanaoM #ould it hasten the development of the countryM These are some of those questions. ,enator +quilino Pimentel, a maDor proponent of the move to adopt a federal system of government, in a primer presented at the annual convention of the "ntegrated 5ar of the Philippines at Taclo an City last +pril 3443 identified two main reasons why the federal system is etter than the present unitary system. +ccording to him the federal system has the structures needed to@ a: hasten the economic development among the various regions of the country y allocating power which at present is concentrated in the central government to the regions that will e converted to federal states. The devolved powers will allow the federal states to mo ilize their resources for development without eing hindered or controlled y the central governmentK and : dissipate the causes of the recurrent armed Moro challenges against the government and, there y, lay the asis for a Dust and lasting peace in Central and ,outhwestern Mindanao.'B "n a research report of the Center for ,ocial Policy and &overnance of the 0alayaan College, + ueva enumerated the theory ehind Philippine federalization. The following are the hypotheses for the proposed shift from a unitary system to a federal system quoted from the research report with editing'> '. The asis for esta lishing a federal system is that the Philippines has already achieved sufficient national unity and democratization, including a measure of decentralization and local autonomy. The latter will follow a out a decade-s transition of FregionalizationG and increased local autonomy involving oth the national government and the local governments. 3. ,pecifically, the '(AE Constitution-s design for the development of participatory democracy, local autonomy, and an active role for civil society in governance was a result of the growing difficulties and frustration with the
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+ ueva, 1ose, Transforming ,ur -nitary ystem to a "ederal ystem. / Pragmatoc, 0evelopmental /pproach, C%C!, 3444, p. '.
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Pimentel, +quilino, 1hy /dopt the "ederal ystem of Government2 + Primer on the ?ederal ,ystem presented to the "ntegrated 5ar of the Philippines at its annual convention, Taclo an City, 3E +pril 3443.
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+ ueva, 1ose, Towards a "ederal republic of the Philippines with a Parliamentary Government by 3454 in FTowards a ?ederal )epu lic of the Philippines with a Parliamentary &overnment y 34'4@ + !raft ConstitutionG, 0alayaan College, Marikina City, 3443, pp. 2-=.

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country-s highly centralized unitary system during the authoritarian regime that started in ,eptem er '(E3. B. ?ederalism will respond to the demands of local leaders for their release from the costly, time-consuming, stifling, and demoralizing effects of e*cessive centralization and controls y the national government in the present unitary system. >. The structures, processes, and responsi ilities of the federation will challenge and energize the people and their state and local governments. ,uch further democratization will encourage creativity, initiative and innovation, spur interstate competition, and foster state and local self-reliance instead of continued dependency. 2. + federal system will greatly increase the capacity of the people and the government to deal with the country-s pro lems ecause the removal of the centralized structure that impose and sustain local dependence and stifle local initiative and resourcefulness will provide greater freedom and home rule. Therefore, they will e more interested in state and local governance ecause it is closer to them and will deal with under-development O local poverty, unemployment, inDustice, inadequate social services and infrastructure, and low productivity. =. "n a federal structure that will consolidate the A4 provinces of the Philippines into A to '4 larger, integrated and more efficient and via le regions called states, su stantial, faster and equita le development for the whole country is more likely to e achieved. E. 5y participating in meaningful and challenging politics and governance at the state and local levels that impact directly the lives of the constituents, the people will e more empowered than if they continued to e 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 li erty will e protected y the further dispersion of power in the government and the society. A. 5y governing the nation through interdependence and interaction with the states as regional governments, using the national language and a glo al language 7such as /nglish:, the federal government will e etter a le to achieve and sustain national unity and identity. +t the same time the states will e a le to nurture, protect and enhance their regional cultures institutions and also contri ute to national cultural development. Together the federal government and the states will e a le to develop and sustain the nation-s cultural diversity and social pluralism. (. + federal system will also e etter a le to respond to the e*ternal threats to national security and the challenges of glo alization y strengthening the nation-state-s capacity to deal with its critical internal pro lems and development.

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'4. +s a special metropolitan local government, Metro Manila, the present national capital, will have the structure of a state and will e a le to deal more effectively with its pro lems as the nation-s principal metropolis. + planned new federal capital at the former Clark +ir 5ase in Central %uzon will ena le the federal government to function more efficiently y having the principal institutions and offices of the federation located in pro*imity to one another and accessi le to Metro Manila y rapid transit. "t has een recognized that federalism is not a panacea for solving all governance pro lems. 9owever, given the a ovementioned hypotheses as rational, it will improve Philippine governance. +s mentioned earlier, the structure of a federal government will empower the people and accelerate the country-s development. The following is a ten-year preparation plan prepared for the adoption of a federal government'2@
(ear $ne Action ,etting up of an institution 7may e ased in an academic institution, or may e a network of consortia of institutions: that will serve as the ase of information related on federalism 7data ank on models of federal governments, facts and figures on proposed states, and current local governments, proceedings of local and international conferences on federalism, devolution and local autonomy, policy papers and position papers on federalism, etc. !esign of a we -page on the ?ederalism Movement in the Philippines %aying the groundwork for a network on federalism 7civil society, academe, FpoliticiansG, etc:. ?ull implementation of decentralization as defined y the %ocal &overnment Code that is fundamental in laying the ground for local autonomy of su -national institutions which is the lynchpin of federalism ?ormalization of the ;etwork of ?ederalism "! Cards issued to mem ers of the Movement for a ?ederal )epu lic of the Philippines 7M?)P: )ecruitment of mem ers of M?)P $rganize local chapters for the M?)P ;etwork with international organizations supportive of federalism 7such as the Canada- ased "nternational ?orum of ?ederations: to harness their support %aunching the we -page on the M?)P Conduct of pu lic consultations on amendments on the %ocal &overnment Code '= 5egin the massive information dissemination campaign for federalism $rganize local chapters for the M?P Conduct of pu lic consultations on amendments on the %ocal &overnment Code Conduct seminars, workshops, conferences on ?ederalism "mplementation of amendments to the %ocal &overnment Code within the conte*t of full devolution

Two

Three

?our

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5rillantes, +le*, Laying the Groundwor' for ustainable federalism. / Ten 6ear Transition /ction Plan "or "ederalism "or Good Governence in Towards a ?ederal )epu lic of the Philippines with a Parliamentary &overnment y 34'4@ + !raft Constitution, 0alayaan College, Marikina, 3443, pp. A=-AE.
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There is this school of thought that argues that the %ocal &overnment Code should e fully implemented first efore considering federalism. 9owever, we elieve that these two could e implemented in a parallel fashion.

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Conduct seminars, workshops, conferences on ?ederalism Conduct seminars, workshops, conferences on ?ederalism /lection of delegates to the Constitutional Convention Conduct seminars, workshops, conferences on ?ederalism 9olding the Constitutional Convention that would consider the shift from a unitary to a federal form of government Conduct seminars, workshops, conferences on ?ederalism ;ational government agencies affected y federalism will conduct an inventory of resources and equipment that will e affected y the federalism process Conduct of consultation with personnel of national and local government agencies that will e affected y federalism Conduct seminars, workshops, conferences on ?ederalism Conduct seminars, workshops, conferences on ?ederalism +doption of the Constitution of the ?ederal )epu lic of the Philippines Conduct seminars, workshops, conferences on ?ederalism

?ive ,i* ,even

/ight

;ine Ten

%) %ssues and Concerns The Philippine politico-administrative system is replete with e*amples of tensions etween a highly centralized governmental structure and the demands for autonomy among the various component local units@ at one level, there is an imperative for a dominant and assertive leadership necessary for the consolidation and even the very survival of a weak stateK at another level, there is demand among component local institutions for autonomy from the central government in order to ena le them to ecome more responsive to local situations and, parado*ically, strengthen a weak state. There is also the cyclical Moro uprising that distur s the peace in Mindanao and desta ilizes the economy of the country. + weakened economy, political insta ility, rapid population growth, etc. are concerns that challenge Philippine governance. 6arious reforms and strategies have een tried to improve governance. The undergoing consideration on revising the '(AE Constitution and adopting federalism is the latest development.'E "ssues and concerns regarding the conversion to federal system from the present unitary structure have to e confronted. ?ederalism is touted as a possi le means to resolve provincial disparities in the country and end the war and development pro lems in Mindanao rought y separatists- movements, since the structure allows for national and regional units of government to have distinct and overlapping Durisdictions. 9owever, as some would point, the Moros want a separate nation not autonomy. The creation of the +utonomous )egion of Muslim Mindanao 7+)MM: ended the tensions for a while ut then it resurfaced. ;evertheless, this provided a space for defining the issues and differences. ,enator Pimentel elieves the federal system will dissipate the recurrent Moro +rmed uprisings y giving them a federal state of their own which will develop and promote their unique culture. + point to e considered, however, is on whether the Moros will find a federal state of their own an accepta le alternative to their separatist goal. Compromise etween the government and the Moros, therefore, is needed.
17

%ifted with revisions from the paper presented y !r. 5rillantes at the "nternational Conference on the ;ew !evelopments in %ocal !emocracy in +sia@ +ppraising a !ecade of /*perience, Pro lems and Prospects<, 3443.

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+nother concern that should e addressed in pushing for a federal system is the capacities and capa ilities of the state and local governments. #hile preparing for federalism, the government should e more decentralized. "t is necessary to promote and develop selfreliance in the local governments that will e converted to states. They should have the capa ility and resources to function effectively as states under a federal government. They should e ena led to respond to the needs and demands of the community and fulfill their roles under a federal set-up. Parallel movement, therefore, of devolution and federalism is vital. The move toward federalism should e purposive and deli erative. The process should also e participatory and road- ased. 6arious sectors of society must e involved to effect change that will e eneficial to the nation. Time to study, discuss, de ate and consider other alternatives for change is important. +s + ueva put it, Fwe should not repeat the haste under pressure in making our present 7'(AE: Constitution.G *+F+*+,C++ ueva, 1ose 6. ed. 73443:. Towards a "ederal republic of the Philippines with a Parliamentary Government by 3454. / 0raft (onstitution. 0alayaan College, Marikina City. + ueva, 1ose 6. 73444:. T+/7 ",+8I7G ,-+ -7IT/+6 6 T$8 T, / "$0$+/L 6 T$8. / Pragmatic, 0evelopmental /pproach. 5rillantes, +le* 5. 73443:. 0ecentrali)ation and 0evolution in the Philippines. $%periences and Lessons Learned /fter a 0ecade presented at the "nternational Conference on the F;ew !evelopments in +sia@ +ppraising a !ecade of /*perience, Pro lems and ProspectsG at ,eoul ;ational 8niversity, ,eoul, 0orea. E-( +pril. Pimentel, +quilino, 1r. 7344':. "$0$+/LI9I7G T!$ +$P-BLI(. the ultimate basis for a &ust and lasting peace in central and southern 8indanao. !elivered at the 0usog Mindanao sponsored forum on federalization, ;ew #orld )enaissance 9otel, Makati City, B4 ;ovem er. http@IIwww.nenepimentel.orgIspeechesI. 6iewed on 33 1une 3443. Pimentel, +quilino, 1r. 73443:. 1hy /dopt the "ederal ystem of Government2 + primer presented to the "ntegrated 5ar of the Philippines at its annual convention, Taclo an City, Philippines, 3E +pril. http@IIwww.nenepimentel.orgIspeechesI. 6iewed on 33 1une 3443 #atts, )onald %. 73443:. The +elevance Today of the "ederal Idea. http@IIwww.federalism3443.chI #orld ?ederalist +ssociation. "ederal ystems in the Twentieth (entury. http@IIwww.wfa.orgIa outIcompare.html. 6iewed on 33 1anuary 3443. .