Federalism forum goes to Leyte

TACLOBAN CITY, Sept. 14 (PNA) -- To shed light on the nuances of a federal system of government, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), together with the provincial government of Leyte will gather all local officials of the province and this city in a forum on federalism.

The DILG jumpstarted earlier in July the nationwide information campaign on federalism and took the lead in promoting public awareness and understanding on the salient features and principles of a federal form of government.

The information drive will spread to the Leyte province through a ‘Forum on Federalism’ set to be held at the Leyte Academic Center Gymnasium on Sept. 16. Former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. , who is a federalism advocate, will keynote the forum.

The forum will gather provincial officials headed by Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla together with provincial board members, city and municipal mayors, vice mayors, councilors, DILG field officers, as well as selected village chiefs, student leaders, church, business and civil society leaders in Leyte.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte is bent on changing the form of government from the current unitary to a federal system.

DILG regional information officer Myles Colasito believes that the structure of the federal system would “respond to the geographical obstacle and differences caused by cultural diversity on governance because it allows fragmentation while at the same time promoting national interest.”

It is also claimed that the federal structure will accelerate the country’s development and end the internal conflicts brought by separatist movements in Mindanao.

“Under the Federal system, local government units can pursue potential investors without seeking approval or permission from the national government. LGUs will also have complete power over the creation and implementation of projects and programs,” Colasito said

When it comes to government administrators, every federal state shall be represented by six senators, who are elected by registered voters in a nationwide free elections. Aside from a total of 66 senators from the country’s 11 states, there will also be six senators that shall represent Metro Manila and nine overseas senators. 

All in all, the Federal Philippines shall have 81 senators. In addition, every federal state will have its own set of departments which are counterpart of the current government’s national departments.

“Despite such arrangement, each province, city and municipality will still have its own governor, mayor and local officials under the existing setup, on top of the governor and vice governor for each federal state,” Colasito explained.

Every state will also have a unicameral state legislature that will enact laws for the governance of the state and where three state legislators will represent every province and city and three sectoral representatives will represent farmers, fishermen and senior citizens in every province and city.

With the increase in number of senators and members of the House, revenue shares for the federal states and LGUs will also increase, and the allocation of revenues will use all revenues – not only taxes collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue – as basis, with the federal state getting 80 percent of the shares and the federal or national government 20 percent, according to DILG.

The Leyte event will also serve as the kick-off of the 25-day countdown to the Silver Anniversary of the Local Government Code of 1991, or Republic Act 7160 on October 10, 2016.

The forum is jointly held together with the city government of Tacloban and the Rotary Club International. (PNA)
FPV/SQM/AHLETTE C. REYES/EGR