
Originally Posted by
Romeojin
I think IRA is good thing, considering theres room for expansion in their region therefore it must be given more fund to developed it. What good does a federal system do in such scenario, where they are force to work on their limited income. It takes money to make money and certainly businesses expands on densely populated area. What moves should this LGUs do, to secure investment and attract investors ? When theres no guarantee of success.
IRA is only good within the unitary form of government because provinces and municipalities cannot have an autonomy to impose their own respective tax codes for the benefit of themselves.
Ive been to countryside on different location in the Philippines year after year, there are many places with little progress; its not because of mainly political in nature, but rather few businessmen invest there cause of many factor like; they rather invest elsewhere; people there doesnt spend much; expensive to expand; etc. If you had franchise of shake here in Cebu you will profit, setup the same franchise elsewhere at the countryside I bet people will rather make their own shake
Under federal form of government, there would be more incentive to decongest Manila and Cebu because the money collected by the national government would not anymore go to these regions and elsewhere would be benefited.
its still cheap amending the Constitution for economic gain rather than spending of Trillions of peso cause of a whim.
Tell me whats the guarantee of success ?
The problem of congestion in Manila and Cebu will remain unless we adopt the federal form of government.
They are also asking 70B in the next year

how much billions more they have to ask in the succeeding years. I think if the national govt spend it elsewhere like in Cebu, the money would have double in 3yrs time. Same as why NCR is so important to invest on, cause the politicians knows its where big income; high ROI will be.
You have to bear the consequences if the end goal is representation for all ethnic groups in the country. That's the fact. The Philippines has to pay the consequences of adopting the BBL if the goal is everlasting peace.
The past is the past; yet the first obstacle to switch to a federal govt is funding, where will we get that? we are talking perhaps 300B for the first 1-3yrs for each State.
Funding has been the favorite excuse among Unitarians who are threaten with any kinds of autonomy for certain ethnic groups. You have to accept the fact that the Philippines composes several nations and to sustain that unity, we have to pay the consequences.
So you want poor States to maintain salary of SC justices, Department chiefs, commissioners et al; maintain infrastructure; to run their federal State, the same amount of money being paid by the Rich States will also paid by these Poor States... isnt that a financial burden just by running a federal State. Theres redundancy with federalism, unlike our current system we share these
departments/agency/SC etc.
This had not been a problem when the United States was still an emerging country in the 19th century unlike today which is a superpower economy.
In the US, there is such thing as GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN and it happen in many occasions due to lack of fund. I dont see why it wont happen to us if we push for federalism, we only have a meager budget compare to the US. And our first move is to take out a massive loan to setup a federal govt.
Government Shutdown in US has not something to do with federalism but their presidentialism where the Congress being a separate branch from the executive has to abide with another because simple disagreement between them would result to shutdown. The reason it never happened in the Philippines is because the executive has to bribe the legislative through pork barrel system. Federalism has nothing to do this.
this is wishful thinking. Investors will flock to big cities wherein infrastructure, labor force, consumers etc. There are places arent ideal. Poor states cannot compete with rich states and also be financially burden running their federal govt.
If you're thinking with the short-run. If regions have economic autonomy to attract foreign investments, these foreign investors will invest there and since foreign investors prefer areas with cheap labor, thus poorer regions, they will go there especially if their business is low-cost manufacturing.
1. Iraq is divided into 3 cause Shias, Sunnis and Kurds wont get along under one country. Its like Moro wont unite under one country.
2. By book Israel is unitary but Palestine is part of Israel and self governing so hence Israel is decentralized.
3. In some decentralized Eastern European nation, it isnt just external factors but rather people within that nation willing to break away or be part of other country... NATO, RUSSIA etc cannot take over a territory without the blessing of its populace cause that would count as an invasion.
These regions are not really a good analogies with the Bangsamoro because MILF never asks total separation from the Republic of the Philippines. The best analogy for Bangsamoro is the relationship between Mainland China and Hong Kong and Macau where there is one country but two systems.
I dont see why some of these, wont be applicable to Bangsamoro. We lost Sabah due to majority of people's choice. If we give them the means of autonomy there will be chance they will declare independence either by force or referendum. Theres no guarantee ma stop ang unrest even they what they want.
We lost Sabah because Sabah was never became part of Philippine territory even during Spanish times, thus understandable that people in Sabah won't like to be part of the Philippines. As I said above, Philippines has been a country with many nations and lumped together into one by the Spaniards and Americans, no wonder many Moros won't consider themselves as Filipinos.
So we just keep submitting to their demands? at the cost of our soldiers life. I doubt you had been there in Mindanao, thats why many people esp Christian will keep voting for Erap in Mindanao cause they are afraid losing their lands. And there are many Christian community near or within Bangsamoro region. Its easy for you to say that they will be tolerant without having experience of these people. It isnt just the Muslims sentiments; there is also a Christian sentiment.
I have been in Mindanao especially in Muslim Mindanao and people there won't like anymore all-out war between each parties. My Muslim and Christian friends from Mindanao here in Cebu said to me that all-out war is a crazy option.
At certain point MILF had been labelled as a terrorist group, even now they are harboring terrorist. Thats why many people will never favor BBL.
I myself is not in favor of BBL because of constitutional issue but if you look the contents of BBL, this has been the most comprehensive framework for enhanced autonomism or federalism in the future. Many people oppose BBL not because MILF is harboring terrorists but because MILF is not only the representative voice from Moro people.