Press Release
August 4, 2016

Pimentel father and son open federalism information drive

Making good on his promise to launch an information drive on federalism, Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III teamed up with his father and former Senate President, Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel, Jr., for a lecture. Entitled "Federalizing the Philippines," it was held on August 4, 2016 in Pasay City.

This lecture is the first step of the massive information drive on federalism Koko planned in response to a survey that said 73% of Filipinos have little or no knowledge of the constitution. It is also a part of the Senate Centennial Lecture Series, held in celebration of the Senate's centennial.

Koko deemed the information drive vital in getting the informed approval of the public on the proposed change of government.

From his keynote speech, Koko mentioned, "Clearly, the highly centralized and unitary system that we have had for more than a century has resulted in an imbalance in the distribution of resources among LGUs. And most importantly, it has hampered the speedy development of most areas in our country, particularly those in the countryside," as one of the necessary reasons for the proposed shift.

He also said that federalism provides a system wherein national unity is maintained while at the same time recognizing and protecting the diversity of Philippine society, noting that "A federal society is one which recognizes the diversity that exists among the people."

Participating and adding depth in the discussion are representatives from various sectors such as the academe, other government, and non-government organizations.

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