Wednesday, June 04, 2008 Speak out: Not yet time for federalism By Jess Kangleon Faller
ADOPTING federalism supposedly to address the crisis in governance is more of a bane than a boon to this country.
This system that gives complete autonomy to each state is not attuned to our general condition.
Federalism is a kind of setup fit for countries whose social and economic systems are well-developed and strong like Russia, Germany and United States.
Adopting it now in the Philippines is more of a political necessity than social and economic one.
Federalism under Philippine setting means divide and control.
This will give rise to a bigger, stronger and institutionalized political warlordism that has dominated our political landscape for quite a time now.
Warlordism succeeds because people who are hungry and miserable can easily be cowed and manipulated.
You cannot have a strong political system if your social and economic institutions are weak and debilitating.
Let’s face it.
Right now you can hear the woes and worries of majority of our people for food and shelter, clothing and other basic needs for survival.
Except those living in flashy homes and subdivisions, you can feel poverty all around you.
Most of our provinces are underdeveloped and their constituencies are poor.
With this deplorable condition, federalism is not the answer.
The more do we still need each other sympathy and assistance.
Helping one another and being strong is what we need now, not the so-called ija-ija, aho-aho system.
Let’s develop our economy first.
Our do-nothing political leaders and public officials should stop inventing incredible ideas just to bolster the wealth of the few and to the misery of the many.
For a more political and pragmatic approach, they should instead amend, strengthen and give more teeth and meaning to the existing local autonomy law.
The Philippines is a very small country and is a poor one that could not carry the global image and privilege as federal state.
