Beneficiality (NEGATIVES)

Now, let’s list some of the cons of forming a federal government focusing on its effect to the
Philippine government and its people:
A. Conflict of authority
- Sharing of power between the center and the states includes both advantages and
disadvantages of a federal organization. Sometimes there can be overlapping of work and
subsequent confusion regarding who is responsible for what. For instance, in times of
disaster, what is the division of responsibilities between state and national governments?

- Healthy competition among states can become alienating – creating rivalries and promoting
the regionalism that some say already challenges the sense of unity in the country. It could
enflame hostilities between ethnic groups in the country like Tagalogs, Cebuanos, Bicolanos,
Ilocanos, Tausugs, and Zamboangueños.
B. Uneven development among states
- Some states may not be as ready for autonomy as others. Some states may not be as rich in
natural resources or skilled labor as others. States with good leaders will progress faster
while states with ineffective ones will degrade more than ever because national government
will not be there to balance them out.
- But in some federal countries, the national government doles out funds to help poorer
states. A proposed Equalization Fund will use a portion of tax from rich states to be given to
poorer states.

For rebuttal I think: There are some important issues about federalism or federal system
which must be resolved first before a strong advocacy for transformation is made . Such
issues include the type of federalism is advocated. Is it cooperative? Competitive or
coercive? In addition, the readiness of the Filipino must be highly considered such as,
not limited to Filipino mind sets and socio cultural dimensions.