Concom: 18 federated regions under new charter

MANILA, Philippines — The consultative committee (Concom) tasked by President Duterte to review the 1987 Constitution is eyeing at least 18 federated regions under a new charter. 

Eduardo Nachura, retired Supreme Court associate justice and Concom member, clarified that the exact number is yet to be determined although 18 is the emerging consensus.

The issue, he said, was not settled last week because members presented different views with some proposing the 17 plus one region corresponding to the existing 17 regions plus the Negros Island region.

 “Negros Island will be constituted into separate regions. During the time of P-Noy (former president Benigno Aquino III), it was made into an island region. But then, it was dissolved. The people of Negros are pushing the creation of their own region,” Nachura pointed out. 

Aquino created the Negros Island Region in May 2015, combining Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, through an executive order. Duterte dissolved it also through an executive order in August 2017.  

Nachura said there were members who proposed 18 regions, which consists of 17 existing regions plus the National Capital Region (NCR) as a sole administrative region with functions similar to that of Washington or Kuala Lumpur.  

Other members, he added, are pushing to transform Metro Manila into a federated region just like with the other 17 regions nationwide.

The Concom is set to meet next week to deliberate the number of federated regions, according to Nachura. 

Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will engage millennials in the campaign for a shift to a federal form of government.

Jonathan Malaya, DILG spokesman and assistant secretary, said the agency would train its eye on the younger generations, considering it as important demographic groups due to their flexibility and openness to reforms necessary for progress.

“The end goal of the first wave of our campaign is to pique the interest of the younger generations and involve them in the process of nation-building,” he said in a statement.