“Is a federal form of government good for your country? Why or why not?”
Federalism is described as the system of government under which a significant
government powers are shared between the Federal and the Regional/State Governments.
Philippines today is under a unitary form of government where the central government is the
highest governing power. It receives a large part of every region’s income and redistributes it to
regions, provinces, municipalities and barangays.
The country is currently facing a widespread practice of graft and corruption in all
government levels, these are influenced by disproportionate allotment of funds and the process of
generating them. Rampant tax evasion and tax avoidance is also observed. Another problem that
is easily seen is the continuous rise of population in the country’s capital, Manila, the reason for
the urban sprawl is because of the job opportunities that are concentrated in the capital. People
had developed strong dependence to live in Metro Manila because it remains as the center of
power and commerce of the country. I also believe that this is the reason why colonial mentality
persists among Filipinos, as highly urbanized cities are more exposed to Western or foreign
influences.
Federalism advertises decentralization that allows every state/regional government to
have authority over developing local industries, public health and safety, education,
