FEDERALISM FOR FILIPINOS?
Map of the Phillipines courtesy of Rappler.com showing the proposed 11 states to be created based from Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr resolution in 2008. LOOKING BACK During the 2016 national and local elections in the Philippines, then Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte openly campaigned that he will push for the shift of federalism in the country as he believes that economic development should not only be in Metro Manila but should reach the most far flung areas in the country. He also added that peace and order can be easily obtained if governance itself starts at the local – especially in the south. He won in that election, but it’s not clear if his campaign for federalism help him to earn the trust of millions of Filipinos. FEDERALISM Generally, federalism is defined as a system of government in which the same territory is controlled by two levels of government. An overarching national government governs issues that affect the entire country, and