By Jonathan Dela Cruz
An interesting exchange happened some days back between a number of provincial executives and members of the ConCom, the committee charged by President Duterte to study the 1987 Constitution. As Cavite Governor Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ Remulla, a very good friend from way back and my co-host in the weekly program ‘Executive Session’ over radio station DZRH recalled, his group presented a novel idea on how to move President Duterte’s campaign promise to establish a federal form of government forward in the face of mounting confusion if not criticism over the manner it is being worked out.
As Governor Boying recounted their group advised the ConCom members to get out of the age-old, traditional “ethno-linguistic” regional groupings under the present Constitution. Instead, they urged the Committee to use the more dynamic economic based system as the metric. Under this system, the regional states, as the federated groupings will be called, will be aligned not on an “ethno-linguistic” basis but on economic viability and complementarity. That way, the argument goes, no province or LGU will be left behind.
Thus, instead of simply grouping say, Aurora with the Region 3 provinces (Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Zambales and Bataan) as it is right now, it can be grouped with Nueva Ecija and Tarlac to make it a viable regional state. The last two provinces are economically well off in their own right.
The complementarity is obvious: Nueva Ecija and Tarlac are landlocked economic powerhouses and will have access to the ocean through Aurora while at the same time providing access to the dynamic centers of trade and commerce in Central Luzon.
Aurora, of course, will serve not only as a gateway to the sea but an environmentally compliant tourism mecca.
The remaining Region 3 provinces can then be regrouped with Pampanga, Bulacan, Zambales and Bataan as the other state. Again, the dynamism and complementarity of this new group is obvious.
The National Capital Region will, of course, remain as it is still serving as the nation’s administrative, commercial and financial capital. The current Region 4-A provinces, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal and Batangas can be regrouped to create three regional states together with what is now Region 4-B, the island provinces, and Region 5 (Bicol).
Thus, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal can be one state, Batangas will be grouped with the island provinces and Quezon with Bicol.
Of course, given their disparate development status but economic and, yes, “ethno-linguistic” complementarity, Regions 1, 2 and CAR can constitute a separate state by themselves under the proposal of Governor Boying and his fellow provincial executives. The kink, if we may call it such, will be the lingering clamor of certain groups in the Cordilleras for autonomy much like the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao as provided for under the 1987 Constitution. But I do not think this will be a deal breaker, if ever.
The regrouping in the Visayas and Mindanao will be a little trickier given the current setup in these areas and the highly uneven development across the board. But all is not lost. Region 7 (Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor and Negros Oriental) can remain, minus Negros Oriental which can then tie up with the other Negros to form another state. Then, Region 6 (Panay Island provinces and Guimaras) can be constituted into another region with the Region 8 provinces remaining as is. That makes four regional states in the Visayas.
In Mindanao, the regrouping can be a lot trickier given the debate over the proposed Bangsamoro regional state. But again that can be ironed out with some creative alchemy. The current ARMM can be regrouped into two states, one for the mainland (Maguindanao and Lanao Sur and some predominantly Muslim towns in North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat) and the other for the island provinces (Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan) all of which can be incorporated into Region 9 (Zamboanga provinces). The present Regions 10, 11, 12 and Caraga can be regrouped to form three regional states instead of the four administrative regions as it is today.
For example, Region 10 can now absorb Misamis Occidental and Lanao Norte; Region 11 (Davao Provinces) can accommodate Sarangani and South Cotabato while the remaining provinces in Regions 12 and Caraga can be transformed into the third Mindanao regional state.
These suggestions, of course, are initial musings not only of Governor Boying and his group but other concerned citizens and sectors whose studies and experiences show that an economic (financial and fiscal viability) foundation to federalism rather than the current “ethno-linguistic-cum administrative” set up may, in the end, be a better way to move federalism forward. Not a bad idea.