Thanks to Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for the focus on federalism (“Duterte: Federalism to stop Malampaya theft,” Across the Nation, 2/4/15). I agree that it is the ideal form of government for the Philippines!
Referred to by early visitors as “the Pearl of the Orient,” the Philippines is indeed a place blessed with abundant natural resources and beauty. Fertile volcanic soils and warm, productive seas make it truly a natural paradise. The government of the country reflects the best of my homeland (the United States) without including the worst, the undemocratic electoral college. More power is given to local government units here (which are called barangays), a tradition taken from precolonial days when they were the dominant organizational unit of government.
For this reason the Philippines would seem to be an ideal for transition to a federal system. The Moro population in Mindanao and the indigenous population in the Cordillera region of Luzon are asking for more autonomy, and the current and past presidents have promised to consider this.
Switzerland, which preserves the autonomy of its many cultures and languages in a federal system, would seem to offer the best example of a very successful, multilingual, multicultural democracy. With few natural resources other than a work ethic, the land-locked Swiss nation is universally acclaimed as the most prosperous and stable society on earth. There are four national languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh. Different areas have different customs and dialects, and they are allowed autonomy.
With all the assets of the more than 7,000 islands of the Philippine archipelago, there is no reason for the “Pearl of the Orient” to harbor poverty and corruption!
—ROWLAND LANE ANDERSON,
andersonlane47@yahoo.com