The most basic definition of federalism is that it is a compound mode of government, with a

national government and local governments combined into a single political system. Each
government is considered a separate and independent sovereign. There will be a little or no
interference between the national government and local government when it comes to decision
making and distribution of resources. Currently, the Philippines has a unitary form of government
where in it is the national government that decides for the local government units. In shifting to
another form of government, a lot of aspects must be considered. Federalism has its positive
effects, depending however in the type of federalism and the current situation of the country. Given
the current situation of the Philippines, I believe that this type of government will not be feasible.
First, in the political aspect, it would take up to five to six Duterte Administration with the same
political will to make it feasible. Also, another 15 more or less years for the transition. Given the
current cultural divisions present in the country, it would be very difficult. Just like what happened
with the Bangsamoro Basic Law wherein it took about 10 to 20 years before it was approved into
Bangsamoro Organic Law, I believe that the shift to federalism would have the same story.
Second, in the legal aspect, there is a process that needs to be done for the Constitution to be
reformed. This process is known as Charter Change. It has two stages, one would be the proposal
stage and the other is the ratification. If ever the proposal stage would come through, it will now
be subject to a national plebiscite. Federalism would be possible if people would vote affirmative
during the plebiscite. However, right now, only 20% of the population of the country knows about
this type of government and only about 5% has the in-depth knowledge of what it really is. Given
that, no matter how great the plans of the government are, if the people would not accept it, then
there would be no Charter Change.
Third, in the economical aspect, the current system of the country when it comes to distribution of
funds is the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA). Wherein, the income from the local governments
will be collected into a national pool and then it will be redistributed to each local government. If
there will be a shift to federalism, this will not be the system anymore. There are local government
units that would progress faster given the good governance and abundance in resources, while
others will degrade and will be left behind. Some local government may not be as ready for
autonomy as others. Some may not be as rich in natural resources or skilled labor as others. Thus,
an unfair competition could arise, leading into a chaotic uneven development.
Lastly, in the cultural aspect, Philippines in the present is already regionalistic; divided culturally.
This could cause separation and alienation because each region would have this idea that they are
independent from one another. Possible rivalries between ethnics and culture could emerge, hence,
a dangerous shift. Also, the existence of separatist in Mindanao. This type of government would
still not be enough. As of now, the conflict continues despite the creation of the Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao.
It is true that federalism has its positive impacts, however, given the present situation of the
country, there are more pressing situation that needs to be address first before the shift. In that
way, the transition would be efficient and smooth.