At Jaunary's Federalism Forum, Members of the Filipino business community and civil society raised many different concerns about the revived federalism debate and made the most out of the presence of Swiss expert on the topic, Dr. Nicole Töpperwien.

Why federalism?

In her introduction, the Swiss expert with vast experience in different settings challenged the attendees to ask themselves "Why federalism?" She stressed the importance of understanding the motivations behind the call for federalism because these motivations will influence the desired model of federalism, e.g. in terms of boundaries, competences, etc. Views on the desired model of federalism can differ fundamentally, even when federalism in principle finds unanimous support. For this reason, in the process of federalization the motivations, needs and desires neet to be clarified.

After presenting the wiede variety of existing models, the expert emphasized the need for a tailor made approach to federalism. As much as the Philippines can be inspired by what already exists, it has to design its own model that meets the aspirations of its population for it to be a source of peace and change. Furthermore, for best results, federalism needs strong institutions at all levels of government as well as functioning democracy.

Concerns about federalism in the Philippines

During the discussions, concerns were voiced about the need for federalism in the Philippines considering existing rules on decentralization. the ability of federalism to bring the exprected changes was questioned in light of exisiting power dynamics, especially political dynasties. Not surprsingly, some inquired about taxation under a federal system. Finally, the issue of accommodating the peace agreements for the Bangsamoro within a federal system was raised. The Swiss guest readily shared her comparative experience, pointing out the need for the federalization process to take these concerns and questions into account to arrive at the best possible result for the Philippines.

As a key element of President Duterte's program, federalism isexpected to be a topic of discussion in the Philippines for some time to come. The Federalism Forum reflected the need for additional information and the concerns about the specific model of federalism for the Philippines