LAGAWE, Ifugao– Get to know more on the much-heralded federalism issue no less from a democracy icon who is superbly knowledgeable on the ramifications and technicalities of putting up a federal type of government in the Philippines.
Former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Sr. is the keynote speaker of a forum on federalism at the Ifugao State University (IFSU)-Nayon campus on March 9. Venue is the university gymnasium.
Apart from IFSU students, barangay council officials of the province have been invited to attend the all-important activity. Undoubtedly, the forum has more for them to listen and understand, few hours of a lecture from the distinguished speaker who spent a great deal of his life in fighting for the restoration of freedom and democracy during the dark days of the martial law regime of deposed strongman Ferdinand Marcos. To achieve his purpose, the one-time Senate President is expected to provide pertinent information on the proposed roadmap in achieving the plan to shift the form of government to a federal one from the current presidential or unitary. To know how it really works, one must know what to do and how to do it in a federal government. At the forthcoming forum, his key recommendations are likely to be laid down in the table and scrutinized by many.
Governmental efforts to remedy the flaws of the presidential form of government only produced more problems and outcries of the people, most especially in depressed communities.
In a dusty, rough road stretch in barangay Tuplac in Kiangan town (one of the 11 municipalities of the impoverished Ifugao province), many are sick and tired of government inaction on their plight. Well-paved, concrete roads and streets abound in highly-developed centers like Metro Manila. In Makati City, one of the richest places in the National Capital Region (NCR), sits the “Imperial Manila” financial hub of high-rise buildings.
But in the underserved towns outside of Metro Manila, there is so much abject poverty. Many are poor. Many are jobless. Many are hungry. Many are sick.
Pimentel still sees a way out of the people’s despicable conditions through the federalism formula.
Tackling the ticklish issues of the federal form of government in three to four hours is rather difficult. Merely showing the proposed federal regional states is not enough. There’s more to that. For one, there is the accountability aspect which should be explained well between the national government and the regional governments.
For the participants at the expected jampacked gymnasium, there is something apparently unique for them at the day’s end. They are to learn a lot from Pimentel, a longtime strategic and transformative leader who is widely drawn to breakthroughs. Without the critical link to Pimentel’s valuable insights on the federalism issue, the citizenry will not be sufficiently enlightened on this matter.
As a result, this early, forum organizers and federalism advocates here should be lauded for having been “too careful” in choosing areas in discussing the merits of the federalism issue. Learning institutions as this one are nearly perfect sites to make sure that the noted speaker gets his message at the right audience.
The conduct of the federalism forum here, in turn, was warmly welcomed by top IFSU officials. The program is in keeping with the university’s avowed goal of transforming the young into productive members of society.
Now, it’s tempting to ponder the prospect of holding another forum on the pros and cons of the federalism issue in another key town of Ifugao.
Long acknowledged for his exemplary record in public service and good governance, Nene Pimentel is an alumnus of the University of the Philippines. Author of the Local Government Code of the Philippines, Pimentel is the father of Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. He also took the pains of founding the PDP (Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino)-Laban party. The PDP-Laban is currently the ruling party.
The former senator, also a lawyer, is well-versed on the provisions on local autonomy as to responsibilities between the federal and state governments.
At a similar forum at Teacher’s Camp in Baguio City a few years back, Nene Pimentel encouraged leaders in the public and private sectors of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) to back the federalism plan, citing the move of President Duterte “as integral in sustaining the country’s robust economy.”
“We will be surely delighted to see the day when various problems of the Philippines such as poverty, unemployment and peace and order are finally addressed by the federal government,” he added.
And so what is the significance of the forthcoming and much-awaited event in the lives of those in the education sector (as well as barangay government officials) that opt to learn more outside the confines of a classroom at IFSU? “To be one of the few places where our distinguished speaker, in the person of former Senate President Nene Pimentel, is spending his precious time to enlighten the people on the fundamentals and mechanisms of the plan to shift to a federal government, is a great pride for IFSU to host the forum. The venue, situated in barangay Nayon in Lamut town, is a major facility of IFSU main campus.
A pity many others don’t get the rare chance to hear the incisive thoughts of Nene Pimentel who for countless times motioned that if the federalism plan is realized, the Philippines shall breathe new life in the not-so-distant future. **By Anthony A. Araos
