NOTE TO FELLOW FILIPINOS

By Orion Perez D
September 29, 2017

Federalism - as a solution - does certain specific things. It does not do everything and it certainly cannot fix all problems and it never intended to. In the context of the Philippines, Federalism is being proposed because it can easily help distribute economic opportunities so that instead of the current situation where economic opportunities are disproportionately concentrated in the area of the National Capital Region and nearby outlying areas, such opportunities will spread out to the regions as the regions are empowered to make major policy decisions that can increase their attractiveness to investors.

Federalism also aims to defuse ethnolinguistic and cultural tensions in which the numerous ethnolinguistic groups of the Philippines tend to feel marginalized by the dominance of Metro Manila's Tagalog-centric linguistic and cultural supremacy. As such, Federalism may help to allow the various ethnolinguistic groups in the Philippines to be able to express themselves and their identities and confidently be who they are instead of having to subsume themselves into a Tagalog-based identity imposed by the Capital under the current unitary model.

These are some of the things Federalism aims to do.

Federalism does not mean raising tax rates. Raising tax rates is a policy decision that is totally separate from Federalism.

Federalism does not mean free healthcare. Free healthcare, once again, is a policy decision that is totally separate from Federalism.
*
People need to understand the logic of this properly. Do not expect Federalism to do everything, and most of all, do not misrepresent those of us who are advocating Federalism as presenting it as some kind of cure-all "panacea." We have always been clear about it serving a specific set of purposes and that it simply will not solve everything.

Federalism can, however, indirectly help out with some things because Federalism is a "solution platform" which essentially means that it can act as an enabler.

Can Federalism lessen crime? Federalism was not intended to lessen crime. However, it is possible that under Federalism, a region that now enjoys policy-making abilities which it previously didn't have can create policies that attract so many job-creating investors to set up shop, create jobs, and gainfully employ millions of inhabitants of that region, then of course INDIRECTLY, crime will go down, and Federalism "had something to do with it."

But more importantly, addressing crime directly in order to lessen crime requires other solutions that go straight at hitting the problem such as having more CCTV's all around the area, having more lights at night, having more police patrols everywhere, and occasionally, random searches.

Federalism's contribution to lessening crime may only lie in essentially enabling regions to more easily develop their economies so that people do not have to flock into Metro Manila and go live in slums where some may end up in bad company and get involved in criminal activity. Regional economic development also ensures that crime stays low in the regions themselves as more people have jobs and so there is less need to steal.

But that is only indirect. Federalism's specific purposes have little to do with lessening crime.
*
It's pretty much like a guy asking a computer store attendant "Will buying this laptop allow me to do accounting for my business?"
Well, simply buying the laptop alone which will likely come along with the OS will not allow him to do accounting for his business... Having the laptop with the OS in it provides him with the PLATFORM on which he can install accounting software which he can then use for his business.

But he still needs to buy accounting software SEPARATELY and install it on his laptop. Simply buying a laptop with the OS already pre-loaded on it won't give him the ability to do accounting for his business.
*
This is why it is absolutely important for people to understand firstly what Federalism aims to achieve. Federalism is not a panacea. It is an enabling platform. Other solutions need to be done together with it to solve many other problems.
And with that, it is also important for people to realize that there is a suite of several reforms that aim to solve multiple issues.

(1) Economic Liberalization -- the removaf of anti-FDI restrictions aims to more easily allow foreign direct investors to come in. This is an important reform because Federalism will be unable to function properly if at the national constitutional level, foreign direct investors are discouraged from coming in and investing just because the restrictive provisions shoo them away.

(2) Shifting to the Parliamentary System - Federalism requires that there be a much better form of government set up both nationally as well as regionally. Shifting to the Parliamentary System ensures that the quality of leaders is superior to what we have under the current system in which politicians rely on personal popularity. Under a parliamentary system, politicians must compete within their parties through merit in order to achieve higher office. Parliamentary Systems are also much more stable, much more flexible, and less prone to corruption than presidential systems as there are multiple eyes watching over financial transactions.

(3) There are also many other little reforms being proposed.
The important thing to note is that understanding what certain reforms are meant for helps to set the right expectations.

People should NOT ask "Can Federalism ensure that we end up with a much more disciplined citizenry who will stop littering and clean up after themselves?"
That's NOT what Federalism does. If you want people to become more disciplined, then government at the highest level needs to run a campaign to inculcate said values and - if possible - strictly enforce anti-littering laws so that those caught are immediately dealt with in a way that makes them change their behavior.

Do not ask for Federalism to make the country rich. Smart economic policies that help facilitate business and attract investors are what make a country rich, Federalism is simply there to allow the regions to attract these investors and businesses over to their areas so that as the country gets richer, the regions get rich, not just the Capital.

Again, know what each reform does instead of expecting that each reform can promise the moon and the stars.

Don't ask your cardiologist to design your dream mansion. You ask an architect to do that.

Don't expect to develop your leg muscles by lifting dumbbells at the gym. You develop your leg muscles through leg curls and other leg-related exercises.
In the same way, don't expect Federalism to transform the country's people to become workaholic overachievers. Some other solution needs to be set up in order to make that transformation happen. Federalism aims to achieve something else.

I hope that's clear.