‘Poorer provinces to get equal share of pie in federal system’

THE DUTERTE administration is planning to group poor provinces with their more wealthy neighbors in dividing the Philippines under a proposed federal form of government.

Incoming Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said this plan would address concerns raised by some lawmakers  that shifting from a unitary presidential system to a federal form of government would be unfair to poor provinces or regions.

A federal system refers to a two-tier government system  which combines a central administration and autonomous regional or state governments, such as in the United States, Germany, Canada, Switzerland and India, among others.  Regional governments would generate their own income.

“On the fear that poor regions (i.e., Samar and Leyte) may suffer under federalism, we will assure the people that we have already devised a plan wherein poor provinces will be grouped with better performing ones in order to help them strive and attain a better performing region,” Alvarez said.

Quezon City Rep. Feliciano Belmonte Jr. had previously warned that it would not be easy shifting to federalism  because of the huge gaps in income and resources among provinces and regions.

“What will happen to the places that are relatively poor at the moment and dependent on getting a share from the income of the rich regions?” Belmonte asked.

While he did not give any details of President Duterte’s proposed redivision of the Philippines, Alvarez maintained that only federalism would allow the regions to realize their full economic potential as self-governing units and to reduce strife.

Alvarez said that once a federal system of government was in place, there would be no need for a Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) because Muslim Mindanao would already have its own autonomous region coexisting with other autonomous regions.

Alvarez has filed House Resolution No. 1 on the conduct of a constitutional convention (Con-con) to start the process of shifting to federalism.

The Alvarez resolution would ban lawmakers and other public officials from being elected to the Con-con unless they quit their posts and have no political affiliations.

It would require delegates to disclose their financial and business interests and notify the Con-con and Congress of potential conflicts of interest in matters under consideration.