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On Federalism
Forum on Prospects of Federalism as a Tool for National Transformation for the Philippines

The National College of Public Administration and Governance of the University of the Philippines (UP NCPAG) engaged the public in a discourse on federalism in the policy forum held last 12 August 2016 entitled, “Federalism: A Tool for National Transformation?” Held at the NCPAG Assembly Hall in the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City, the forum served as a venue for a discussion on a broad range of views on federalism by the invited experts who jointly interrogated on whether federalism is a tool for national transformation.

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Amongst the experts and discussants were: the Father of Local Autonomy in the Philippines, Former Senator Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr., Chairman of the Board, Pimentel Institute for Leadership and Governance (PILG); Dr. Ronald U. Mendoza, Dean and Associate Professor of Economics at the Ateneo School of Government; Dr. Paul D. Hutchcroft, Professor of Political and Social Change at the Australian National University and the Lead Governance Specialist for Development Cooperation at the Australian Embassy in Manila; and, Dr. Temario C. Rivera, Chair of the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG), a research and policy advocacy non-government organization.

The talk of Former Sen. Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr., Chairman of the Pimentel Institute for Leadership and Governance (PILG), on the proposed shift of the Philippines to a federal system of government focused on the balancing and the distribution of government powers and identified the establishment of peace as one of the more important reasons for the shift.

Associate Professor of Economics Dr. Ronald U. Mendoza, Dean of the Ateneo School of Government, discussed the socio-economic implications the Philippines stands to face in case it pushes through with adapting the federal form of government, and how this related to the overall goal to promote inclusive growth and development in the country.

Dr. Paul D. Hutchcroft, Professor of Political and Social Change, Coral Bell School Asia Pacific Affairs of the Australian National University, examined federalism in the context of other types of political reform, expounded on the basic principles of political reform, and made a comparison of the system in the Philippines and in those of its neighbouring countries.

Chair of Center for People Empowerment in Governance, a research and policy advocacy non-government organization, Dr. Temario C. Rivera, observed the historical drivers in other federal systems and suggested an exploratory shift into federalism in the two autonomous regions in the country. He opined that a possible transition would be best done incrementally and prudently to help ensure the effective enforcement of existing laws and to minimise negative unintended consequences.

Moderated by Mr. Raphel N. Móntes, Jr., University Researcher at the Center for Local and Regional Governance (CLRG), UP NCPAG, the policy forum was one among the series of NCPAG Policy Fora being held by the college in celebration of its 65th anniversary in 2017. The forum had more than 240 attendees, including representatives from the Philippine government, incumbent and former local government officers, the academe, civil society and college students and was graced by, among others, the Commission on Higher Education Commissioner Alex B. Brillantes Jr., PhD. and Ms. Claire David of the Philippine Competition Commission. The activity was jointly supported by the UP, the NCPAG, the CLRG, the PILG and the Hanns Seidel Foundation/Germany.

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