The Arguments for a Federal System of Government
By Christopher Ryan Maboloc, PhD The political exclusion of the South has had tremendous social and economic costs. The Philippines has achieved sustained Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth under President Benigno Aquino III in the last six years, and yet, this wealth has not really trickled down to the poorest households. [1] The lack of opportunities in the South, for example, has resulted to the diminished lives of our people and in the absence of lasting peace. [2] If we are to grow as one nation and end the great divide between North and South, then we have to look for a political solution somewhere. Dr. Jose Abueva, in “Some Advantages of Federalism and Parliamentary Government for the Philippines,” argues that a federal-parliamentary system of government will result to “greater human and institutional capability for good governance.” (Abueva 2005) Indeed, the weakness of our country’s institutions can be traced to the lack of people empowerment, most