For years, people have been complaining about developments being

centered in and around Metro Manila LRT and MRTs, airport upgrades
and development, skyways, and a whole lot more. It can easily be argued
that these projects were necessary because thats where our countrys
capital is and where most of the workforce are. After all, its our economic
hub. But what a lot of people failed to realize is that this only happened
because the rest of the country was placed in the backseat of development
while allowing Metro Manila to grow at a rate way faster than other areas.
So naturally, investors flocked its well-developed and highly urbanized
areas which in turn, attracted most of the workforce thereby making it
highly congested. Provinces, especially here in Mindanao were left behind.
Do you see railway systems here? How about enough power plants to
address our electricity woes? Equity in development is badly needed not
just by Mindanao, but by the entire country.
Philippines will greatly benefit from Federalism because it will
highlight the strengths of each island group. For instance, Mindanao can be
a hub for agriculture. Think of the rice fields of Agusan, the coconut
plantations of Sarangani, the corn fields of South Cotabato, and the large
pineapple plantations of Polomolok and Bukidnon - these can be further
developed as local governments will have a free hand since policy
decentralization becomes key in this system. They can craft policies that
will not only promote the industry that drives them but those that will also
better protect and provide incentives to workers such as tax breaks and
better wage rates. This can also eliminate the so-called provincial rate and
will entice the labor pool to stay in their respective areas, addressing
concerns in brain-drain while helping improve the local economy. Theres a
lot that local governments can do as well or better than the national
government and this should be exploited. A state thats known for being
peaceful can attract more families compared to those with higher crime
index. A state with good worker protection can pressure other states to
legislate comparable measures in order to stay competitive and entice the
labor pool. At the end of the day, better legislation and execution of laws
will lead to people moving to a better state - a place where their
principles and ideals are supported and empowered which will lead to a
stronger economic force for areas that do well.
 Imagine General Santos City as a booming metropolis filled with high-
rise buildings and efficient transport system, wouldnt that be a sight to
see? With federalism, this vision will be closer to reality as the taxes that
our city levies from all its industries wont have to go through the national
government anymore only to see it chopped down through IRA. Our local
leaders will be able to allocate more funds for infrastructure and
transportation which will attract more investors that can diversify our citys
industry.
Federalism is very practical for our country; just look at our
geography. Weve always had a regional mindset and this will be put to
better use under this system. The Katipuneros in Luzon, the Dagohoys in
Visayas, and the Moros in Mindanao are few, classic examples of how
divided we were, and we still are. At a snap of a finger, it will end Moro
insurgency because really, its what theyve been fighting for all along.
Federalism wont break our country apart because regionalism is already
deeply embedded in our roots and weve been doing okay for the most
part. With this system, people wont have to dream of going to Metro
Manila or Cebu City in search of a better life because their local leaders will
be able to give it to them. And with that, people doesnt have to be away
from their families to get better wage rates and incentives. With
federalism, our countrys land area of 300,000 km2 will be maximized
instead of the population being concentrated in major cities. With the
states caring for their own folks, the Federal government will be able to
focus on important issues, especially foreign ones.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Philippines will be a better country under
federalism. With each state pulling its own weight, this country will truly be
greater than the sum of its parts. Thank you.

Verlyn A Factor