Federalism, governance and, autonomy have been the specimens in glass slides being scrutinized and discussed in the two days colloquy by global experts carrying with them varied and pertinent lenses in the field of governance. All placing their microscope frames on the burgeoning concept of federalism as the latter gradually warming up in the consciousness of the Filipinos. As soon as President Rodrigo Duterte pronounced his plan of shifting to a federal-parliamentary system of government, different groups conspired in a single agendum of educating the citizens about federalism and what future may hold our nation guided by such system.

The Senate committee on constitutional amendments, chaired by Sen. Franklin Drilon, will soon start public hearings on President Duterte’s proposal to adopt the federal system. The proposal will require Charter change (Cha-cha).

With leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives coming from Mindanao, Malacañang is optimistic that President Duterte’s legislative agenda would be passed without much objection in both chambers.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar yesterday said Malacañang is hopeful that there will be a “pro-active cooperation” between the executive and legislative branches following the assumption to office of two of the President’s allies – Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III met with the CDPI President, Lito Lorenzana and the rest of PDP-Laban officers and members in a Fellowship dinner right after the two-day Federalism Conference organized by the PDP-Laban.

In the said conference, two members of the National Board of Advisors of CDPI, Dr. Jose V. Abueva and Chief Justice Reynato Puno (Ret.) participated as its guest speakers.

DAVAO CITY -- Business leaders from the Davao Region are planning a nationwide consensus-building exercise with other sectors on the incoming government’s agenda, particularly regarding proposals to move to a federal system.

Federalism is being promoted by President-elect Rodrigo R. Duterte, who went on a “listening tour” nationwide to bat for more regional autonomy.

Davao City business leaders and some political parties gather in Davao City for a conference entitled, "Pursuing Federalism: A Shift from Unitary-Presidential to Federal-Parliamentary Government" organized by the Centrist Democracy Political Institute (CDPI) in collaboration with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), Inc on the Proposed Revision of the 1987 Constitution by the 2005 Consultative Commission to support and promote the initiatives of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte's Administration.

MANILA, Philippines – Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. warned the incoming Duterte administration and its allies in Congress of the defect of the proposed shift to the federal system.

He made the warning even as Congressman-elect Luis Raymond Villafuerte of Camarines Sur called for a broad multi-party support to replace the current unitary-presidential form of government with a federal-presidential setup.