The plan to establish federal states in the country will augur well for Mindanao if the government sets up economic zones in these states, a government bureaucrat said.
Dr. Adrian Tamayo of the Mindanao Development Authority pointed out that by developing economic and industrial zones in the federal states, the national government will help them develop into becoming independent.
“They will eventually become mature economics on their own,” said Tamayo as the agency is proposing three federal states in Mindanao and another in Palawan.
Meanwhile, a federalism advocate admitted that the planned shift to this form of government has been hounded with the problem of financing it.
“There is really a big problem faced by the Federalism move as of current. First, the economic team of Malacañan and the Consultative Committee members do not seem to be in agreement with each other when it comes to the financial aspect of going federal,” said Arch. Florencio Gavino of the Kilos Pederal sa Pagbabago even as he confirmed that his group has submitted to President Rodrigo R. Duterte its roadmap for the implementation of the shift.
“One of the emphases we have placed in our roadmap is for the Malacañan Economic Team to study the financial aspect of going federal so that this will guide those who will draft the federal constitution,” he said, although he lamented that those in government who were pushing for the shift to federalism did not pay attention to the proposal.
He added that his group also pushed for the Interior and Local Government department “should start immediately the information drive on federalism because this is a war for the hearts and minds of our people because it is indeed essential that the Filipino people appreciate the benefits of (the shift to federalism).”
But he believes that the administration will eventually resolve the issue among its people.
