FOR the first time since winning the May 2022 presidential elections, President Marcos Jr. yesterday made a pitch for federalism as he underscored the importance of empowering local government units (LGUs) in nation building.
During the oath taking of the new members of his Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) led by Ilocos Norte Rep. and presidential son Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, the President also highlighted the need for the party to start organizing for all political cycles, starting with this year’s October 30 barangay elections and the 2025 mid-term polls.
He called on PFP’s newly-sworn members to uphold the ideology of the party in empowering local government units as decision-makers through the concept of federal governance.
The President, who once served as governor of Ilocos Norte, likewise said there is a need to devolve power, discretion, and functions to the lowest level of governance, pointing out that “the stability of a political structure is much more reliable when we have many power centers.”
“If the power centers only belong here in Manila, then pabagsakin mo iyong Manila, bagsak ang buong Pilipinas. But with the power centers being given to the local governments, to the legislative districts, and to those who are operating at the local level, and thereby bringing those power centers to many, many, many places, it makes for a more stable political structure and makes a more stable political life,” he said.
He said this means that in case a war or a crisis breaks out in one area, the other parts of the country would continue to move on and still be able to function.
The President said this also means that decisions over certain matters would no longer need to go through the national or central government but can already be done at the level of local government officials, be it the governors, mayors or congressmen.
Marcos reiterated that local government officials are more attuned to what is happening on the ground and would know what is best or be more applicable locally.
“That’s why the idea of federalism became very important because, again, it is my firm belief that… with all the systems that we are trying to put together, what we are trying to do is to make the decision process be made in as low a level as possible,” he said.
The President said PFP as a political party must now start preparing for all the political cycles that would happen, such as the barangay elections this year and the 2025 mid-term polls.
He said the results of the barangay elections would have a big impact on how the 2025 elections would turn out.
“Kasi kung tayo magiging kandidato, mananalo tayo sa 2025, kailangan ay kailangan natin ng suporta ng barangay level. So, that is why it was incumbent upon us to now immediately try and organize ourselves so that we are prepared because there is always a synergy (If we are a candidate, to win in 2025, we need the support at the barangay level. So, that is why it was incumbent upon us to now immediately try and organize ourselves so that we are prepared because there is always a synergy),” Marcos said.
“Kung mayroon tayong mga kasama na kailangan ng tulong galing sa partido, iyon. Kung may matibay na partido na talagang nagtatrabaho, na talagang may ginagawa ay makakatulong ‘yan doon sa ating kandidato. At ‘yun ang ating mga magiging, iyon ang ating pag-iisip kaya tayo nandito ngayon (If we have someone who needs the party’s help, if there is a stable party that is working, it will be able to help the candidate. That will be our way of thinking, that’s why we are here today),” he said.
The President said he expects more people to join the PFP and a party caucus would soon be held which would be a venue to determine what the party members need and what the party can do.
The President said devolution has been the “central ideology of the PFP,” which has now evolved into a major political party from being a minor player in the past years.
He said PFP had refocused its efforts in the last year on governance rather than on politics.
“We are attempting to be, to transform the government, to transform the bureaucracy, to transform even the thinking of ordinary Filipino citizens and our politicians. Ibahin natin ang pag-iisip para naman ay makaramdam naman iyong ating mga kababayan ng pagbabago (We are attempting to be, to transform the government, to transform the bureaucracy, to transform even the thinking of ordinary Filipino citizens and our politicians. Let us change the thinking of everyone so that the people can experience real reforms),” he said.
To promote this ideology, the President said PFP will align itself with like-minded political forces and “continue to talk to other political parties and come to an agreement with them to stabilize our movement.”
He also, again, emphasized the need for unity which he said was not just a campaign slogan but a mission or vision that needs to be pursued.
The President said that he does not believe in the “marriage of convenience of political parties,” which he noted has been happening in the country, but he believes that it is a party with real ideologies that would survive and thrive.
The PFP, which was formed in 2018, is chaired by the President. Marcos ran for vice president under PFP in 2018.
In 2022, PFP allied itself with the Lakas-CMD, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), and Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) under the UniTeam.
Among those who took their oath as new members yesterday were Governors Rogelio Neil Roque (Bukidnon), Marilou Cayco (Batanes), Christian Noveras (Aurora), Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. (Zambales), Eduardo Gadiano (Occidental Mindoro), Ricarte Padilla (Camarines Norte), Edcel Greco Lagman (Albay), Erico Aristotle Aumentado (Bohol), Damian Mercado (Southern Leyte), Imelda Dimaporo (Lanao del Norte), Dorothy Gonzaga (Davao de Oro), Edwin Jubahib (Davao del Norte), Arthur Defensor Jr (Iloilo), and Abdulraof Macacua (Maguindanao del Norte).
The others who took their oath were Laguna Vice Governor Katherine Agapay, National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) lead convenor Lope Santos III, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arlan Mangelen, and NAPC acting director general Girlie Amarillo.
