ILOILO City – The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) is ready for a new wave of campaign for federalism even as it has already saturated this city’s 180 barangays with its “Federalism 101” drive.
According to Atty. Ferdinand Panes, director of DILG-Iloilo City, President Rodrigo Duterte has assigned the DILG as lead agency in the advocacy.
P anes said “Federalism 101” discussed what federalism was all about; countries that succeeded under federalism; and structure of governance.
During orientation, said Panes, the utmost concern of barangay officials was the existence of the barangays under federalism.
They feared that the barangays would be dissolved, he said.
“Barangays will get strengthened under federalism,” clarified Panes.
He also said Western Visayas can survive as a regional government under a federal form of government.
In the second wave of campaign, Panes said, they would tackle federalism based on the draft constitution prepared by a consultative committee that the President formed. (PNA)
