MANILA - Malacañang on Thursday said it would launch an information drive on federalism as it acknowledged the public’s lack of knowledge and awareness about charter change and the administration’s plan to change the country’s form of government.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed that an inter-agency task force has been formed to conduct a massive information drive on federalism down to the barangay level.

“The surveys so far confirm there is a need for dissemination insofar as it shows that the overwhelming majority still don’t know anything about federalism,” Roque said in a press briefing in Zamboanga Sibugay.

“We have accepted the challenge and we will embark on this massive information dissemination drive.”

Roque said an initial amount of P40 million has been identified for the information drive. Of this amount, P10 million will go to the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).

Roque said the Palace may also use for the information drive P50 million in savings of the consultative committee that made proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution for the federal shift.

He, however, said the use of such savings is not yet guaranteed since the consultative committee’s operations will wind down next month.

A Pulse Asia survey conducted last June showed that 67 percent of Filipinos are opposed to amending the Constitution now.

• 2 in 3 Filipinos against charter change now, majority oppose federalism shift: Pulse Asia

Meanwhile, a Social Weather Stations survey found that only 25 percent of Filipinos are aware of the federal system of government being pushed by the Duterte administration.

Of the 1,200 respondents surveyed by the SWS, 37 percent agreed with a federal system of government, 29 percent disagreed, while 34 percent were undecided.

• Only 1 in 4 Pinoys know federal gov't system, SWS survey says