Philippines’ shift to federalism to boost Marawi City rehab — Mangondato

The Philippines’ shift to a federalist system of government will help expedite the rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi City, businessman and presidential bet Faisal Mangondato said Friday.

At Go Negosyo’s KandidaTalks, Mangondato underscored there’s a limit in the authority of the local government on the restoration of the city which became the center of months-long armed conflict between government forces and pro-ISIS militants in 2017.

He said five years since its liberation, the rehabilitation of the area remains at 40 percent.

“Wala pong kapangyarihan jan ang provincial government ng Lanao del Sur at city government ng Marawi dahil nasa national government ang power na sila ang  nagbibigay ng mandate paano palakarin ang rehabilitation o kaya ‘Bangon Marawi’ sa ating lugar,” he said.

(The provincial government of Lanao del Sur and the city government of Marawi do not have the power on the rehabilitation because it is the national government that gives the mandate.)

“Kaya kung federalism system ang mangyayari sa atin, dahil mayroon nang power na gumawa ang regional governors at merong pondo ay madali po maisasagawa ang pag rehabilitate ng Marawi City,” he said. “Karamihan sa amin ay mga Muslim..alam po namin kung ano ang culture namin, tradition namin, alam namin pano aayusin ang  aming lugar.”

(That’s why if the country will be under federalism, regional governors will have the power and funding to expedite the rehabilitation of Marawi City… Most of us are Muslims. We know our culture and tradition. We know how to fix our locality.)

Mangondato, standard-bearer of Katipunan ng Kamalayang Kayumanggi, is running alongside Carlos Serapio in the 2022 May polls.

Part of his platforms is the country’s shift towards federalism which he said will bring the government “closer” to the people and allow all regions to implement its own priority programs and promptly deliver assistance to constituents in times of crisis.

“Mula noong aking pagkabata haggang sa kasalukuyan, lahat ng pangulo natin maganda ang plano at adhikain kung pano papaunlarin ang Pilipinas pero dahil sa sistema ng politika na yun ang nagiging virus sa lahat  ng nagiging admin kaya maski ano man ang panata nila, promises nila, hindi mangagayari yun kung andito pa rin tayo sa buhol-buhol na sistema,” he said.

(Since I was young and until today, the past presidents have good programs and advocacies for the country but none of it materialized because of the system of our politics which became the virus. That’s  why despite all the administrations and their promises, the country remains stagnant. We will not improve if we stay in this system.) — RSJ, GMA News