Pacquiao to push for ‘hybrid federalism’

Presidential aspirant Senator Manny Pacquiao on Thursday said that if he wins next year's elections, he will push to shift the country’s form of government from unitary to a “hybrid federalism,” saying that it will help the country to further grow and prosper.

“Ako ang gusto ko ay federalism. Gusto kong i-implement yang federalism sa bansa natin pero hybrid lang siya,” Pacquiao said during an online forum at Rotary Club of Manila.

(What I want is federalism. I want to implement federalism in our country but a hybrid form of it.)

“Kasi hindi pa pwedeng [baka] hindi maka-adopt yung bansa natin sa full implementation ng federalism kailangan hybrid lang muna para pagmaayos na ang lahat eh I’m sure uunlad ang bansa natin,” he added.

(Because it is not yet possible that our country will fully adopt the full implementation of federalism, so we need a hybrid first to fix everything and I’m sure our country will develop from there.)

President Rodrigo Duterte has been pushing for a shift to a federal form of government as a means to address national economic and power imbalances.

Under the proposed shift, the country will be divided into states that will be formed from the existing regions.

Pacquiao also said that Filipinos are suffering because of the “lack of a concrete plan” against COVID-19 and proposed "long-term solutions" to help the country emerge from the pandemic.

Pacquiao's plan focuses on free education, the allocation of jobs, and support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

“Libreng edukasyon: isa po yan sa isang pagtutuunan ng pansin natin hanggang sa makapagtapos sila sa pag-aaral, at trabaho—importante po na maibigay natin sa atin mga kababayan. Suportahan din po natin at palakasin natin ang MSMEs at yung mga business sectors suportahan po natin para makapagbigay ng trabaho sa milyon milyong Pilipino,” he said.

(Free education is one of the things we will focus on until they graduate from school, and work—it is important that we give that to our compatriots. We will also support and strengthen MSMEs and the business sectors to provide employment for millions of Filipinos.)

He also said that sufficient funds and support will be allocated to the country’s athletes and training facilities to produce more sports champions.

Pacquiao also agreed to put an end to the practice of contractualization in the country, saying that he will support the laborers.

Pacquiao was the first presidential aspirant to file a certificate of candidacy for the May 2022 elections.

He said he will run under PROMDI (Probinsiya Muna Development Initiative) and not PDP-Laban due to the ongoing infighting between his faction and that led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, to which Duterte is aligned. — BM, GMA News