Deep Currents and Displaced Settlers: Philippine Intergovernmental Policy Analysis

Conceptualized every time I commute between home and school, between the cities of Caloocan and Manila.

Today, I hereby lay copyright claim to the research and coining of "Displaced Settlers", dwellers who have no capacity to live a decent life in where they currently reside, because they do not have a real house but live in the streets or public areas. 

I also lay claim to the theorem premised that a single local government's action is not enough to help these people.  Founded on principles of my Masteral thesis "Federalism and its Potential Application to the Republic of the Philippines" (2011), I posit the alternative (the future Ronald's Law) that "the dynamics of local government networks is needed to solve the problem of displaced settlers".  This is done by giving them means to live a decent life in the scattered islands of the various regions of the Republic.  Instead of giving them fish in the metro, give them the capacity to fish or till the soil in the Philippines lush provinces.

University of Santo Tomas – Graduate School

New Student Research Proposal: Ph.D. (Political Science)

Ronald M. Castillo

Deep Currents and Displaced Settlers: Philippine Intergovernmental Policy Analysis

The Philippine Republic uses a unitary system of geographic allocation of power.  Being an archipelago, the country is composed of more than 7,000 islands, most of which are crisscrossed by mountains and dotted by forests, which pose strategic problems for national management of the country.  Yet, even with such political geographic hindrance, these islands are rich in natural resources, beautiful and are undiscovered havens for residence, commerce, and tourism. 

Currently, Metro Manila has a proliferation of street settlers.  This phenomenon is an endemic governance concern both in the national and local levels of the Philippine government.  This issue touches on areas of human life such as rights, crime increases, spread of diseases, and the swelling of the metropolis’ population. 

This dissertation proposes a two tiered approach in relation to the said situation.  First, it will analyze political institutions and political culture blockages to policy making and implementation using deep current set method as applied to a single country comparative study of the Philippines.  On the second stage, it will test bottom-up institutional dynamics theory as embedded in the writings of Robert J. Rotberg.  Through these, the dissertation aims to establish the grassroots level of local government as the true foundation of a stable unitary state.

Keywords:  unitary system, displaced settlers, deep current set, political institutions, local government 

Cause for Federation

"Federalist", eventually known as "The Federalist Papers" were 85 separate articles published by 3 of the founding fathers of the United States of America.  All three authors in publishing their thoughts and reasons for a federation used the same pen name - Publius.

Federalist no. 5 and 6 were both written by Alexander Hamilton.  Here he discussed the context of the possibility of dissension between neighboring contiguous states - states that share the same border within a particular continent or land mass.  He does not specify this quality of the state in his discussion, but he mentions neighboring states in his closing argument in Federalist no 5.  And this same idea of contiguous neighboring states can be deduced from the difference between Federalist 2-5 and that of Federalist 5 and 6.  

He does not directly argue here for a federation.  Rather he provides arguments that: 1) states by nature have the tendency towards rivalry, competition or even aggression towards each other; and 2) there are particular reasons why a divisive attitude can exist between states in the international politics.

Thesis of Federalist no 5.

Federalist no. 5 provides Hamilton's human nature argument on the existence of the divisive trait of states. To paraphrase the main thought of Hamilton in this publication - States are rivalrous because it is governed by man, and man is rivalrous.

States go to war because of the whims of men who exercise within it.  To this he mentions the story of Pericles and Wolsey.  It also does not exist in one gender, Hamilton also identifies: Madame de Maintenon (due to personal bigotry), the Duchess of Marlborough (due to personal petulance), and Madame Pompadour (due to involvement with a political cabal).

Hamilton also writes here rebuttals against two existing political systems that are supposedly meant to manage such dissensions.

1) republics which supposedly is pacific (remind you of a previous political philosopher).

2) commerce - or the state being engaged in it - which can a) "soften the of manners men" (Hamilton cf: Penn State University, 2001)."  and b) "extinguish enflammable humors (Ibid.)" which can lead to war.  Here Hamilton points our that supposedly commerce can make citizens pacific by molding both a) habit or manners and b) emotions or humors.

Both arguments though are invalidated Hamilton by reminding the reader that Republics and Commerce engaged states are still under the government of men.  Men who by nature are rivalrous.  The founding father implies that these two institutions are not enough.

Thesis of Federalist no 6.

Here Hamilton enumerates the causes of dissensions among states and explains each.  He also either directly links federation as a solution, or occasionally is ambiguous on it.

1. Territorial, proven on the nature of american colonial territories.  Hamilton directly points the importance of a federation to solve it.
2. Commerce - proven based on human habit and american achievement.  Ambiguous with regards to federalism.
3. Payment of public debt - proven based on american colonial experience and human nature.  Ambiguous.
4. The effect of laws on existing private contracts - proven on american colonial experience.  Federal union suppurted as Hamilton mentions have been discussed in the previous Federalist.

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For your task, I have intentionally excluded from this discussion certain facts.  Which if you are reading this will raise questions. Such as who are the other two?  What are american colonial expereince with regards to payment of public debt.  These are just samples.

Cross reference this discussion on the reading as preparation for the quiz.

Pls. also note all other parts of animadversion.

Study well.