John Michael Vincent E.

Clarito

12 - 3 STEM

August 07, 2018

Federalism

The world has a different form of government on leading and handling a country, such popular
example are Monarchy, Democracy, Oligarchy, and Dictatorship. They vary depending on who holds the
power, how the government operates, and how they are organized. But the system of managing a
country is further divided and has couple ways of supervising each of the regions. One of this is known
as Federalism and a few countries follows the system, including the India, USA, Russia, and Brazil.

But what is Federalism? (The Editors of Encyclopaedia, 2018) defines Federalism as a political
mode organization that unites separate states or other polities within an overarching political system in
such a way as to allow each to maintain its own fundamental political integrity. Basically, it is when the
country is divided into states and where each of the states has a ruler who govern and make decisions
for their people, basically acting as an own country. Many suggest to implement Federalism in the
Philippines which is currently under the different system known as Unitary. Unlike Federalism, the
Unitary system has a central government who rules all the smaller government all over the country.
Region under this system experience a very limited power and relies greatly on the central government.
But why do people want Federalism in the Philippines and how exactly will the system affect the
country? (bloomp.net) listed several advantages and disadvantages, advantages such as protecting us
from tyranny, dispersing power, increasing citizen participation, and increasing effectiveness, and
disadvantages, such as supposedly protecting slavery and segregation, increasing inequalities between
states, states blocking national policies, and racing to the bottom in terms of how they treat their
citizens. If we analyzed on how the supposed advantages will affect the Philippines, it will be a great of a
help. Because Philippines encounters numerous corruption, with Federalism, it will be more visible to
see on how and where the taxes are spent and people can easily monitor the growth of the state under
its leader. If we analyzed the disadvantages, however, it will be problematic to Philippines. The country
has many underdeveloped regions, and if they act as an own country, it will worsen their growth and the
gap between that underdeveloped state compare to another states will be greatly furthered away.

Federalism in Philippines will share both advantages and disadvantages if implemented. It can be
an ideal government system to prosper and develop the country, but on the other hand, it can also spell
trouble to poor regions of the country. It can only mean that fixing the problems first, will be needed
before having an only advantageous effect of Federalism.