MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) recently submitted to the congressional committee on constitutional amendments a set of equality provisions that would “address the widening gap between the rich and poor regions of the country.”
In a statement on Tuesday, DILG spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said the interagency task force on federalism and constitutional reform chaired by Interior Secretary Eduardo Año approved a set of “equality provisions” that he described as surgical amendments to the Constitution.
Among these is the proposal to lift the restrictive economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution and open up the economy to foreign investments.
This, according to some lawmakers, would spur economic activity and create more employment opportunities. —Jeannette Andrade