Federal Republic of the Philippines: State of Bicol

State of Bicol

Mayon Volcano, found in the province of Albay
(photo by Isgg811)

Bicol, a prospective state in south Luzon, Philippines covering most of the Bicol Peninsula. The origin of the name Bicol is unclear; it may have been derived from Bico, a river that drains in San Miguel Bay.

People

The Bikol or Bicolano are reputed for their idealism. From the politicians they elect in office, their active civil participation in policymaking, to their strict adherence to leading-edge evacuation procedures, the Bikol assert what is ideal and are thorough in pursuing it.

A Bikol man in traditional warrior clothing

(photo by PaneDM)

Federal Republic of the Philippines

Government

A federal Philippines means that a measure of the chief executive’s power — like the control of tax revenues, designation of official languages — is devolved to the regions and provinces to allow them the freedom to effectively administer themselves under the ultimate power of the central government. The regions and provinces are now organized into federal states, ideally created by ethnic lines and families or what are called ethnic states.

Economy

The economy of a federal Philippines is characterized by genuine fiscal decentralization and regional specialization. Fiscal decentralization is the distribution of financial functions from the national government to the regions; and specialization happens where federal states, their cities and provinces, devote their resources to separate industries.

Culture

Philippine culture is diverse, with over 80 ethnolinguistic groups native to the country. The federal Philippine nation would ideally consist of 22 ethnic states, each free in fostering its own culture and languages. In this way, the Philippines will preserve and sustain its rich cultural diversity.

History

The Philippines is a federation that hasn't yet been. For an archipelago originally home to a collage of rajahnates, sultanates and barangay chieftaincies, if this were to end up as one nation without imperialists coming to capture and carelessly consolidate the different tribes into a single colony, the Philippines would have been a federation.