“Ano ang federalismo?” “Makakatulong nga ba ito?” “Paano?”

These are the burning questions of the day that the first-ever Federalism Summit convened in Region I sought to address. Held at the Amado Espino Gym in Bayambang National High School in February 10, 2017, the summit was attended by several high-ranking officials from the national, regional, and local governments, together with barangay officials from Bayambang’s 77 barangays. The event drew an almost 2,000-strong crowd.

In his welcome remarks, Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao could not hide his all-out support for the alternative system of government being promoted by the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte nationwide in a massive campaign. “I was out of the country for 20 years, and I have seen various forms of government and I saw the advantage of a decentralized form of government,” he added.

He said he witnessed how backwater countries transformed into economic powerhouses within two decades, while our country stagnated. The local chief executive said he saw the same success story repeat itself in China, Vietnam, Indonesia… “And in the case of Myanmar, mukhang mauunahan uli ang Pilipinas. Ngayon, kung maunahan pa tayo ng Cambodia, the poorest country in Asia, kasalanan na nating lahat iyon,” he said.

“Alam kong federalismo ang magpapabilis sa pag-unlad ng ating bayan dahil sa federalismo, pantay-pantay ang distribusyon ng resources ng gobyerno.” “This will surely bring change and good developments in our nation,” including the “realization of  massive economic development,” the first-term mayor added.

It can be recalled that Quiambao is embarking on a “No to Corruption” campaign, which is almost similar to Duterte’s “Change is coming.”

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Regional Director James F. Padrilan thanked Bayambang for holding the first LGU-initiated summit in Region I, then soon gave the floor to the main speaker of the day, John R. Castriciones, DILG Undersecretary for Operations.

Usec. Castriciones explained in a compelling series of arguments how our current unitary system of government heavily concentrates the program of development in Metro Manila. With federalism, he said, there will be a devolution of power, and poverty in the Philippines will be more easily addressed because there will be an equal level of development in all places. “Sa federalismo, tayong mga ordinaryong taumbayan dapat, hindi ang national government, ang magdedesisyon kung ano ang nararapat na proyekto sa ating pamayanan,” he said.

“Napapanahon na para marinig naman ang boses ng mga ordinaryong mamamayan sa probinsiya!” he added, while noting that the current president himself is a “probinsiyano,” from Mindanao.

Usec. Castriciones took the opportunity to also discuss at length government’s Mamamayang Ayaw sa Anomalya, Mamamayang Ayaw sa Droga (MASA-MASID) Program, citing cold statistics on the drug and crime menace besetting the country. “There are 1.2 million drug surrenderers in the country. It is estimated that 4 to 5 million people are affected by drugs,” he said, by way of starting the rationale behind forming MAS-MASID as an umbrella organization.  “Most of those who commit crimes are into drugs,” he continued, rattling off convincing numbers in support of his assertion.

“Good thing President Rodrigo Duterte has the political will [to address the problem],” Castriciones added. Some P700 million per year is needed to operate a rehabilitation center for drug addicts, he said, “an amount that is better spent on schools, hospitals, roads…”

As the Chairman of Task Force Agila tasked with investigating government officials and personnel involved in drugs, Castriciones also gave revelatory data on how deep the involvement of government officials and personnel has become through the years.  “Drug-dealing and corruption go hand in hand,” he explained, “that is why we in DILG formed MASA-MASID.”

“But we can’t do it alone,” he said, as he appealed to the public for their participation in the program. “Isumbong ang korapsyon, isumbong ang anomalya!”

Meanwhile, Dr. Enerico Sampang, Program Manager of the DILG Task Team on Federalism, underscored the importance of teachers in the federalism campaign, saying education is the key to spreading among our youth the idea of a federal form of government being advantageous to our archipelagic country comprised of a diversity of ethnic groups. “Sa federalismo, all-in tayong lahat!” he enthused, even as he urged everyone to at least be open-minded on the subject.

Gerald ‘Dindi’ Tan, Assistant Program Manager of the DILG Task Team on Federalism, took to the stage next to give an audio-visual presentation detailing the scenarios in a federal system of government.

Among the high-profile visitors in the summit were PSSupt. Ronald O. Lee, PNP Provincial Superintendent, who came together with several police chiefs of Pangasinan, and Agnes A. de Leon, DILG Acting Provincial Director. Apart from Mayor Quiambao, he was welcomed by Vice-Mayor Raul Sabangan, Councilor Martin Terrado, who is the chairman of the Committee on Peace and Order, Councilor Amory Junio, who is member of said Committee, and Councilors Mylvin Junio, Junie Angeles, and Ma. Catalina de Vera.

The summit ended in an open forum, in which several questions on the pros and cons of the proposed shift to federalism raised by the attendees were addressed by the DILG team.

The Federalism Summit is an initiative of LGU-Bayambang in coordination with the local DILG office’s Romarie Soriano and her team together with the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Coordinating Council-People’s National Movement for Federalism (MRD-NECC PENAMFED) in support of President Duterte’s directive on federalism. (Bayambang PIO/Media Affairs)