Federalism: an answer to 

Bohol road repairs woes?

DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental June 17 (PIA)—The recent scourge of motorists and commuters with the seemingly less-thought-of repairs of still relatively usable roads might just be the perfect reason why people should go for federalism. 

Taking the bold statement of Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo, who, with no holds barred, announced his staunchest support for the government reform which President Rodrigo Duterte also promised during his campaign, the president’s idea of federalism shares the government powers to the people who now could decide for their own governance. 

“Federalism slowly decreases the powers of agencies, as this is empowering the locals,” the mayor shared before the multi-sectoral representatives gathered at the Visionaire’s Lounge of the Negros Oriental Convention Hotel for the town hall meeting on federalism.

“With the present centralized unitary government, it is the central offices that are creating the laws and policies that does not fit our local environment,” he pitched in.

Speaking on the choking traffic that is slowly building in Dumaguete, Mayor Remollo found an example that best illustrates his point.

In our present too centralized system, a small city like us, [we] can not even build a small bridge that we can implement, [to ease the flow of traffic] because it is the central office of the public works who decide for us, he illustrated. 

“And they do not even know how inconvenienced we are already,” he further stressed.

In the case of Bohol, citizens, especially those who have had experience of collaborative and consultative planning which is a rising trend in Bohol, have severely criticized the Department of Public Works and Highways for the road reblocking activities on over a year old roads, without even consulting local officials or affected communities.

By federalism, the balance of power shifts to the people, and the local governments would have a better share of the resources, Remollo continued. 

This happens as governments shift its center of power from imperial Manila to the federal region hubs, while it’s their federal government who will now decide how to develop their regions, the city mayor patiently explained to those present during the meeting. 

A shift to the federal government drastically tilts the revenue sharing scheme of the country’s resources, thereby making enriching development funds of local governments, the mayor commented. 

“With a huge chunk of the country’s development funds funnelled to Mega Manila and its nearby regions attracting people who are drawn to the cities for work, the regions are left with almost nothing. And cities are bound to be bursting at the seams in overpopulation,” political analysts Mon Casiple and economists have said.

With federalism, these resources would be shared to the regions and the government centers move from Manila to the regions, which can spur more economic activity in the regions, they added.

With the regions getting more and more funds, they can start managing these as people can demand more accountability with their leaders right close to them, the mayor explained. 

If the leaders do not perform, the people can easily go after their necks, unlike when you wish to dethrone a senator or a Department Director, which is almost impossible, local government specialists also claimed. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

Dumaguete City mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo lashes out the downside of the unitary government against federal system as he belts out that the federal system distributes national government power to regional federal districts, which would allow more community participation in decision making. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)