“Federalism” is a big word, one that is not easily understood, much less appreciated, by millions of Filipinos.
In fact, even the ones who enjoyed some form of education cannot readily speak about the nuances of the federal system of government, aside from the vague notion that it divides a country into various autonomous states, and that it is the opposite of the system that we now have, where everything appears to revolve around the central government in Manila.
Among the supposed benefits of federalism are more efficient delivery of government services, more equitable distribution of opportunity and wealth, improved peace and order situation and greater participation by citizens in matters of governance.
Advocates also make bold—albeit arguable—claims that corruption would be minimized just by the act of changing the political system.
Since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office, there has been much talk on federalism. Mr. Duterte is known to advocate a shift to this form, conducting listening tours before to exchange views with ordinary citizens about it before he launched his presidential bid.
Because of the great mandate that he enjoyed during the past elections, it appears that the President can easily use his political capital to introduce this fundamental change.
This recent push is echoed not by one group but several—all of whom have their own ideal model for a federal government.
There is no issue with the ills that a shift to the federal form of government seeks to address. Perhaps it has gotten to a point where the status quo is so unbearable that the public is willing to gamble continuity for a basic and potentially disruptive change. In a move such as this, how the change is introduced is as crucial as the transformation being sought.
We get how President Duterte is making good on his promise. Overhauling the system of government, however, is a serious, far-reaching exercise. It must not be made merely for the sake of effecting change.
