In accordance with the call for federalism, forums, colloquiums and discussions large and small in scale had been conducted in varied places in the entire Philippines; the recently convened GAGF forum on federalism being one of them. The aim of the Global Autonomy, Governance, and Federalism Forum 2016 on October 19 and 20 was to convene 30 international experts in the field of governance to share their experiences in their countries. The event was attended by local and international stakeholders, academe, researchers, NGOs, POs, media, religious, diplomatic and donor communities.

Mr. Benedicto Bacani, the conference chair, encouraged the members of the forum to participate and learn from the best practices and lessons from other countries. Among the countries included in the presentation are Sri Lanka, Canada, Spain, India, Australia, Northern Ireland and Scotland, Myanmar, South Africa, and Philippines.

Mr. Lito Monico Lorenzana, the president of Centrist Democracy Political Institute or CDPI, was among the panel members, discussed the preconditions, process, and timeframe towards the future Republic of the Philippines. Highlighted in his talk was the harrowing experiences of the peoples of the south that provoked the formation of separatists movements scattered in the different regions in Mindanao. He also elaborated the mechanisms of federalism, the preconditions, and its time-frame.

The forum discussed the best strategies and practices of federalism and how it will address the issues of our country such as peace and development. Global experts had presented different strategies and research methodologies, programs and government projects and policy-making in a federal government.

Aside from the presentations, the forum was an avenue for networking and confabulations about future programs and collaborations with leaders from development agencies, government officials and heads of NGOs, and other stakeholders.

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