MANILA — There will be more college graduates in the Philippines once the country opts for federalism, members of the Consultative Committee (ConCom) said.
In the ConCom’s draft Bayanihan Federal Constitution, basic education is a demandable right which all Filipinos are entitled to.
Tuition fees, school infrastructures, books, teachers’ salaries, and electricity will be shouldered by the federal government while the regional government will take care of maintenance costs like janitorial services.
“We will not devolve education because we cannot encumber the regions with the funding of basic education as it will take up a huge chunk of the budget,” ConCom member lawyer Susan Ubalde-Ordinario said in a news release Wednesday.
Education will also have to be standardized by the federal government to maintain quality.
Basic education entails free tuition for elementary, high school and the first two years of college, which will be funded by the federal government.
Lawyer Randolph Parcasio of the ConCom said regions can allocate more funds to improve the quality of youth education as well as opt to pay for the tuition of the last two years of college.
In that way, regions can equip more young people with the skills, knowledge, and qualifications they need to find jobs, he said.
Parcasio cited the case of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) wherein the regional government takes responsibility for education.
“Kahit yung ARMM, gusto nila ibalik sa national ang responsibility (Even the ARMM wants to return the responsibility to the national [government]),” he said.
Education was devolved to ARMM in 1989 under Republic 6734 when ARMM was created.
From 1990 until 2009, about 80 percent of ARMM’s budget went to pay for salaries, wages and monthly operating expenses of education, leaving little for the funding of other development projects in ARMM.
When ARMM’s budget was increased in 2017 and 2018, around 30 percent of PHP30 billion went to education, which is still a hefty burden.
Meanwhile, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) allocated the biggest budget to education for 2019, which is PHP659.3 billion of the PHP3.757 trillion total budget for 2019.
Ordinario said given this right, the qualifications needed for government elected officials in their draft is justifiable.
“Kung ang rank and file na empleyado ay kailangan ng college graduate attainment, paano pa kaya ang presidente? (If the rank and file employee needs a college graduate, what more the president?),” Ordinario said.
ConCom’s model requires the president, vice president, senators, congressmen, and the regional governor to have a college degree or its equivalent to be elected.
“Kayo, kami, tayong mga (You, us, we are) federalists, we are workers. We are prophets of the future, not for us, but for the succeeding generations,” ConCom member Professor Eddie Alih said.
The DILG on October 29-30, 2018 held its federalism roadshow in General Santos City and Polomolok South Cotabato to explain their proposal to the people of Soccskargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City) the benefits of shifting to a federal system of governance.
Representatives from the farmers, women, local government units, indigenous tribes, among others flocked to the Pederalismoserye town hall meeting with basic sectors while around 8,500 rallied for federalism on the second day of the roadshow. (DILG PR)
