by Dr. Rodolfo John Ortiz Teope, PhD, EdD
In 2016, I was given a rare and humbling opportunity to
serve in the National Federalism Study Group convened by Usec. Jonathan Malaya,
under the broader vision of Senate President Koko Pimentel, who at that time
carried the torch of federalist advocacy. The initiative was not mere
rhetoric—it was a sincere effort to shape a Philippine model of federalism that
was not copied wholesale from abroad, but carefully tailored to our unique
history, culture, and realities.
To be invited was already an honor. To be asked to chair the
Fiscal Policy Cluster was both a privilege and a burden I carried with great
care. Federalism is often imagined as a political restructuring, but as I
quickly learned, it is at its heart a fiscal project—about how money flows, who
gets what share, and how accountability is enforced. In that room, I was
surrounded by great minds, but also by patriots who wanted nothing less than a
stronger and fairer Republic.
Our core group was made up of some of the nation’s most
respected intellectuals and practitioners: UST Prof. Edmund Tayao, DLSU Dean
Julio Teehankee, UP Chancellor Dr. Grace Jamon, Mr. Francis Xavier Manglapus,
IPER Executive Director Mon Casiple, SEPO Director Merwin Salazar, and UST
Prof. Eric de Torres, supported tirelessly by the reliable secretariat staff
headed by Prof. Aubrey Bahala. Working with them was like being part of a
living think tank—one that brought together diverse disciplines but shared a
common devotion to nation-building.
Special credit also belongs to members who were not always
visible in the photos but whose contributions were deeply felt: Dr. Antonio Avila,
Dr. Romulo "Jun" Miral, Dr. Cesar Chavez, Atty.
Susan Ordinario, Fr. Ranhilo Aquino, Atty. Ted Contacto, Dean Fe Mendoza, Mayor
Frank Quijano, Atty. Salma Rasul, Dr. Ebinezer Florano, and Prof. Novel Bangsal,
Dr. Ed Araral, Dr. Clarita Carlos, and many others. Each of them carried wisdom
from their respective fields, and our exchanges were enriched by their
perspectives. It was, in truth, a mosaic of knowledge and patriotism, stitched
together by the effort of Usec. Malaya’s steady leadership.
In my Fiscal Policy Cluster, I was fortunate to work side by
side with two of the country’s brightest fiscal experts: Dr. Romulo “Jun” Miral
and Dr. Antonio Avila plus our cluster secretariat head Prof. Pamela Diaz-Manalo. With
their combined expertise, the discussions were both intellectually rigorous and
profoundly practical. Federalism, we agreed, could not be sustained without a
solid fiscal framework. We wrestled with questions that were never simple: How
would revenues be shared between national and federal states? How could we
protect poorer regions from being left behind? How would we prevent corruption
from simply being decentralized rather than dismantled?
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| The Fiscal Policy Cluster |
The debates were sharp and at times heated. Miral would
caution us against devolving too much too fast, while Avila would emphasize the
need for genuine autonomy, even if it meant taking risks. As chairman, my role
was to synthesize, to bridge, and to ensure that our recommendations were not
merely academic theories but workable solutions. It was through these dialogues
that our cluster crafted the idea of evolving federalism—a gradual,
step-by-step transition toward autonomy, anchored on fiscal discipline and
equalization mechanisms.
Looking back, I realized how much that journey shaped my own
understanding of leadership and reform. Chairing the Fiscal Policy Cluster was
not just about presiding over meetings; it was about carrying the weight of
responsibility to millions of Filipinos outside those conference halls. I often
asked myself if the farmer in province of General Tom Lantion’s Nueva Viscaya,
the fisherman in the Visayas, or the small trader in Davao would actually
benefit from the frameworks we were drafting. Those questions humbled me and
kept me grounded.
This is why I now grow uneasy when I see groups loudly
calling for instant federalism. Their voices are passionate, their slogans
inspiring, but beneath the noise there is little technical grounding. They skip
the hard questions, gloss over the complexities, and sell federalism as a magic
fix. The people, weary of neglect, may bite into these promises out of hope—but
promises without depth only breed confusion and disappointment.
Federalism cannot be rushed. It is not a banner to wave at
rallies, but a structure to build with patience and precision. To campaign for
federalism without technical expertise is not only irresponsible—it is
dangerous. It risks discrediting the movement entirely, turning what should be
a reform of empowerment into a failed political stunt.
That is why I hold firmly to the recommendation we put
forward in 2016: evolving federalism. It is not as loud or as flashy as instant
change, but it is honest, practical, and sustainable. It tells the Filipino
people the truth: federalism can work, but it demands preparation, discipline,
and sacrifice.
To this day, I remain grateful that I was invited to work
alongside giants in academe and policy, to be given the trust to chair the
Fiscal Policy Cluster, and to add my voice to a movement that sought real
reform rather than hype. When federalism finally takes root in the
Philippines—and I believe one day it will—I will remember those sessions in 2016,
and I will take pride in knowing that we planted its seeds with integrity,
care, and love for country.
