The move for Federalism should be made after 2010 Election… for now… we got two years for it to prepare… its better to prepare rather than doing it in a hurry and then ruin the current system…

In addition, I hope this also change the social structure but I doubt that will happen…

That’s the reality. Our overly centralized system CREATES the bad culture. It’s not always not about the form but the people…have we even realized that a bad system nurture bad culture.

Philippines on the other hand embraces a unitary type of government wherein the government is centralized. Along with the Philippines other examples of countries with a unitary system are Afghanistan, France and Zimbabwe.

In my opinion, federalism in the Philippines won’t be so bad. I think it’s about the right time for a “change” to be applied by the people; we are a democratic nation after all, right?

Federalism could convert the provinces into partially self-governing states. Without this Imperial Manila that they say, government won’t therefore be centralized in Manila as well as the states won’t therefore be dependent to the capital city.

In a unitary state, everything is all about the capital. The investments, wealth, economic/job opportunities, foreign luxuries and imports – all directed to capital. To make matters worst, it’s costly in some areas just for the sake to reach Manila. This is prevalent in island provinces, especially in the Visayas.

In summary, federalism could be the enlightenment period of the Philippines or the transition for economic miracle and development; direct foreign investments distributed within the union and not only in the capital; the increase of the human development index and the equal distribution of wealth within the society towards a developed nation that we truly hoped for.

I’m 15 years of age by the way, and I would certainly say that what I wrote as just of now would still be nothing into it IF and only IF the fraudulence of the government is still planted in this country.

spliceanddice, it’s true that the people who man the posts can be blamed for our government’s failings. but, we have to ask the questions, “who put those people there?” and “what can we do to make sure that we can choose wisely next time?”

Nick, sama ako kampanya mo. Balik tayo sa grassroots! And let’s build a true democratic society from the ground up!

Scrap the big business of politics altogether, get rid of the businessmen behind the politicians, and start the grassroot campaign such as Panlilio, and the people will finally have a voice in government.

I don’t nibble the bait for federalism. It demands for more politicians (350 congressmen, 75 senators) under the guise of saving funds from the electoral expenses.

I just wonder though how a country of 90 million can’t even find one good leader, much less 24 good senators.

I dare say, it seems that in the Philippines, the only thing that differentiates the masses from the rich is money and schooling.

Beyond those, the mindsets and belief systems do not differ. Ethics don’t seem to vary either. Lamangan, gulangan, and isahan (LGI) pervade Pinoy society at all levels (it even continues to infect expat Pinoy communities).

Look at the rice situation — it spawned this whole concept of “access cards”. Let’s sit back on our comfy chairs and watch the perfect storm of corruption, and LGI this bright idea is already stirring up, just for fun.

It’s a national talent — this ability to complicate and pervert just about any situation.

Everytime I tune in on ABS CBN’s Bandila, there is at least one slot showing some form of religious (mostly Catholic) worship or prayer or another. Both rich and poor, honest and corrupt, free and imprisoned are seen in those churches or knelt in prayer like a bunch of chumps. You wonder where the results of all those prayers are today…

After all the non-results we’ve seen — in the last 50 years since independence — all these scenes of religious worship in the Philippines just make me laugh. Actually now they just make me sick.

A friend of mine wrote a scathing critique on the quality of the Philippine elite way way back in 2003:

[...]what made Western Europe of the 1700′s and beyond different from the Philippines today is that, whereas in both cases, the masses were largely ignorant, in Europe, a large number of the élites (nobles, intelligentsia, mercantile class, emerging bourgeoisie, etc) were busy reading up on Science, Voltaire, Montesquieu, Rousseau, etc, and beefing up on their practice of logic and rationalism, while in the Philippines today, only a small minority among the “élite” are truly enlightened and rationalist.

Tough luck for Pinoy society, I guess. I don’t see any kind of enlightenment happening in the islands any time soon.

I am tempted to agree with my pal cvj when he said: “the Jesuits have a lot to answer for”.

Then again, that’d be like doing the Pinoy thing and not taking personal accountability for the results (or their lack thereof). ;)