Understanding Federalism

One of the hottest topics these days is whether we should switch our present system of government to federalism. Surely no single system of governance would solve all our societal problems if that's what people are expecting. But we can pick a system that will address most of them. And how will we do that? By educating ourselves about this thing called FEDERALISM. Many of the biggest countries of the world have adapted it. Should we be next?

Kung makapagsalita ang isang ito akala mo WALKING ENCYCLOPEDIA. Pwede ba WALKING DEAD na lang muna?

...or some form of self-rule and flexibility.

Sometimes I find it hard to believe how certain people could get elected as senators and yet not grow a brain. I don't know who is more pathetic, the winning candidates or the voters who elected them. "Death blow to democracy"? You mean to tell me dead na ang demokrasya sa India, sa America, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, Mexico, Argentina, Canada and Australia? Hindi pa nga siya tumira sa isang bansa ng matagalan na may federal system eh tapos she's so quick to make declarations and judgments like that. Nagsalita ang expert na walang experience. Ay caramba!

Federalism is about DIVISION or SHARING of powers so how can that be undemocratic? Federalism empowers local citizens/states to manage their own affairs so is that undemocratic? Federalism also takes into consideration the different needs (political, social & economic), prevailing culture, and the size of the population of each state or region. It brings together members of diverse community.

In America, the federal government are limited to the collection of taxes, providing for defense, borrowing money on credit, regulating commerce, creating currency, establishing post offices & post roads, granting patents, creating lower courts, and declaring war. The 10th amendment of the U.S. Constitution gave all the other powers to the states. Also in the U.S. certain policy innovations started on the state level before they got adapted by the federal government. Again, that is democracy at work.

Mr. Nigel Locke is a foreigner living in the Philippines. He is probably British or Australian, or even an American. This is a short version of his Facebook post. You can read the whole entry at:

https://www.facebook.com/nigel.locke/posts/10155973911182398

Thank you, Mr. Locke!! Mabuti pa yung banyaga may malasakit sa Pilipinas at nagsasabi ng totoo. Di tulad ng iba dyan na nahalal nga but needs to grow a BRAIN, cease bashing the country & our leader, and desist spreading FAKE NEWS. Too much freedom of speech sa Pinas, contrary to what the naysayers are saying about free speech here. But you know, whacha gonna do? Que SIRA SIRA ... As the French say, c'est la vie.

There are different versions or varieties of FEDERALISM or federal type of government. In Europe, for example, federalism means a stronger central government, while in the U.S. it connotes a weaker central government but stronger state governments.

For me, one compelling reason why I am in favor of adapting federalism is so we can address the secessionist problem in Mindanao. As it stands now, the BBL law doesn't conform with our current setup and/or our Constitution. But if we switch to a federalist system & approve a new Constitution incorporating such a system, the BBL law could be accommodated or, conform with or be justified by the new Constitution.

Our politicians and/or citizens need to understand and talk about which version of federal system our country is best suited for. People should be forced to think about this because it will affect our lives in a big BIG way for several decades to come or until the next constitutional reform or overhaul. We have to decide which style to follow. Our current system is broke. There's too much corruption in government. Too much red tape. Political dynasties exist though our constitution prohibits their existence. Our economic policies are too protectionist. We also need to decide whether to continue with the current presidential system we have now or adapt a parliamentary system so we can replace the head of the government (in this case the prime minister) faster in case he/she screws up instead of waiting for six long years when his/her term expires.

What does the president prefer?

FEDERALISM is about sharing of powers between the central and state/regional governments. So in that sense, federalism is more democratic so Risa is utterly wrong. In a federal system, the state can create their own laws. In the U.S., when a federal law and state law conflict, the state law prevails. States can opt not to follow federal laws and go their own way.

SOURCES: 1. Calonzo, M. (2018). Duterte Rejects Term Extension, Pushes for Federal Philippines. Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 22 January 2018, from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-14/duterte-rejects-term-extension-pushes-for-federal-philippines?cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business&utm_content=business&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social