Meaning of Agrarian Reform Pre-Spanish Period

Agrarian reform is considered wider than land reform. “This land is Ours God gave this land to us”
1.       The term comprises not only land reform, the reform of tenure, production and
supporting services. Before the Spaniards came to the Philippines, Filipinos lived in villages or barangays
ruled by chiefs or datus. The datus comprised the nobility. Then came the
2.       In the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988 (R.A No. 6657), agrarian maharlikas (freemen), followed by the aliping mamamahay (serfs) and aliping
reform is defined to mean “the redistribution of lands, regardless of crops or fruits saguiguilid (slaves).
produced, to farmers and regular farm workers who are landless, irrespective of
tenurial arrangement, to include the totality of factors and support services However, despite the existence of different classes in the social structure,
designed to lift the economics status of the beneficiaries and all other practically everyone had access to the fruits of the soil. Money was unknown, and
arrangements alternative to the physical redistribution of lands, such as production rice served as the medium of exchange.
or profit-sharing, land administration and the distribution of shares of stock, which
will allow beneficiaries to receive a just share of the fruits of the lands they work.” Spanish Period

Examples of Agrarian Reform Measures “United we stand, divided we fall”

Agrarian reform would, therefore, also cover the following:
When the Spaniards came to the Philippines, the concept of encomienda (Royal
1.       Public health programs
Land Grants) was introduced. This system grants that Encomienderos must defend
2.       Family planning
his encomienda from external attack, maintain peace and order within, and support
3.       Education and training of farmers the missionaries. In turn, the encomiendero acquired the right to collect tribute
4.       Reorganization of land reforms agencies from the indios (native).
5.       Application of labor laws to agricultural workers
6.       Construction of infrastructure facilities such as feeder roads, irrigation systems, The system, however, degenerated into abuse of power by the encomienderos The
etc., and the establishment of rural electrification tribute soon became land rents to a few powerful landlords. And the natives who
7.       Organization of various types of voluntary associations once cultivated the lands in freedom were transformed into mere share tenants.
8.       Providing employment opportunities to underemployed or surplus rural labor; and
9.       Other services of a community development nature First Philippine Republic

“The yoke has finally broken”

When the First Philippine Republic was established in 1899, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo
declared in the Malolos Constitution his intention to confiscate large estates,
especially the so-called Friar lands.

However, as the Republic was short-lived, Aguinaldo’s plan was never implemented.
American Period  Commonwealth Act No. 178 (An Amendment to Rice Tenancy Act No.
4045), Nov. 13, 1936 – Provided for certain controls in the landlord-tenant
“Long live America” relationships
 National Rice and Corn Corporation (NARIC), 1936 – Established the price
Significant legislation enacted during the American Period: of rice and corn thereby help the poor tenants as well as consumers.
 Commonwealth Act. No. 461, 1937 – Specified reasons for the dismissal of
 Philippine Bill of 1902 – Set the ceilings on the hectarage of private tenants and only with the approval of the Tenancy Division of the
individuals and corporations may acquire: 16 has. for private individuals Department of Justice.
and 1,024 has. for corporations.  Rural Program Administration, created March 2, 1939 – Provided the
 Land Registration Act of 1902 (Act No. 496) – Provided for a purchase and lease of haciendas and their sale and lease to the tenants.
comprehensive registration of land titles under the Torrens system. Commonwealth Act No. 441 enacted on June 3, 1939 – Created the
National Settlement Administration with a capital stock of P20,000,000.
 Public Land Act of 1903 – introduced the homestead system in the
Philippines.
 Tenancy Act of 1933 (Act No. 4054 and 4113) – regulated relationships Japanese Occupation
between landowners and tenants of rice (50-50 sharing) and sugar cane
lands. “The Era of Hukbalahap”

The Torrens system, which the Americans instituted for the registration of lands, did The Second World War II started in Europe in 1939 and in the Pacific in 1941.
not solve the problem completely. Either they were not aware of the law or if they
did, they could not pay the survey cost and other fees required in applying for a Hukbalahap controlled whole areas of Central Luzon; landlords who supported the
Torrens title. Japanese lost their lands to peasants while those who supported the Huks earned
fixed rentals in favor of the tenants.
Commonwealth Period
Unfortunately, the end of war also signaled the end of gains acquired by the
“Government for the Filipinos” peasants.

President Manuel L. Quezon espoused the "Social Justice" program to arrest the Upon the arrival of the Japanese in the Philippines in 1942, peasants and workers
increasing social unrest in Central Luzon. organizations grew strength. Many peasants took up arms and identified
themselves with the anti-Japanese group, the HUKBALAHAP (Hukbo ng Bayan Laban
Significant legislation enacted during Commonwealth Period: sa Hapon).

 1935 Constitution – "The promotion of social justice to ensure the well- Philippine Republic
being and economic security of all people should be the concern of the
State" “The New Republic”
After the establishment of the Philippine Independence in 1946, the problems of Continued the program of President Ramon Magsaysay. No new legislation passed.
land tenure remained. These became worst in certain areas. Thus the Congress of
the Philippines revised the tenancy law. President Diosdado P. Macapagal (1961-1965) enacted the following law:

President Manuel A. Roxas (1946-1948) enacted the following laws: Republic Act No. 3844 of August 8, 1963 (Agricultural Land Reform Code) --
Abolished share tenancy, institutionalized leasehold, set retention limit at 75
 Republic Act No. 34 -- Established the 70-30 sharing arrangements and hectares, invested rights of preemption and redemption for tenant farmers,
regulating share-tenancy contracts. provided for an administrative machinery for implementation, institutionalized a
 Republic Act No. 55 -- Provided for a more effective safeguard against judicial system of agrarian cases, incorporated extension, marketing and supervised
arbitrary ejectment of tenants. credit system of services of farmer beneficiaries.

Elpidio R. Quirino (1948-1953) enacted the following law: The RA was hailed as one that would emancipate Filipino farmers from the bondage
of tenancy.
Executive Order No. 355 issued on October 23, 1950 -- Replaced the National Land
Settlement Administration with Land Settlement Development Corporation President Ferdinand E. Marcos (1965-1986)
(LASEDECO) which takes over the responsibilities of the Agricultural Machinery
Equipment Corporation and the Rice and Corn Production Administration. Proclamation No. 1081 on September 21, 1972 ushered the Period of the New
Society. Five days after the proclamation of Martial Law, the entire country was
Ramon Magsaysay (1953-1957) enacted the following laws: proclaimed a land reform area and simultaneously the Agrarian Reform Program
was decreed.
 Republic Act No. 1160 of 1954 -- Abolished the LASEDECO and established
the National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration (NARRA) to President Marcos enacted the following laws:
resettle dissidents and landless farmers. It was particularly aimed at rebel
returnees providing home lots and farmlands in Palawan and Mindanao.  Republic Act No. 6389, (Code of Agrarian Reform) and RA No. 6390 of 1971
 Republic Act No. 1199 (Agricultural Tenancy Act of 1954) -- governed the -- Created the Department of Agrarian Reform and the Agrarian Reform
relationship between landowners and tenant farmers by organizing share- Special Account Fund. It strengthen the position of farmers and expanded
tenancy and leasehold system. The law provided the security of tenure of the scope of agrarian reform.
tenants. It also created the Court of Agrarian Relations.  Presidential Decree No. 2, September 26, 1972 -- Declared the country
 Republic Act No. 1400 (Land Reform Act of 1955) -- Created the Land under land reform program. It enjoined all agencies and offices of the
Tenure Administration (LTA) which was responsible for the acquisition and government to extend full cooperation and assistance to the DAR. It also
distribution of large tenanted rice and corn lands over 200 hectares for activated the Agrarian Reform Coordinating Council.
individuals and 600 hectares for corporations.  Presidential Decree No. 27, October 21, 1972 -- Restricted land reform
 Republic Act No. 821 (Creation of Agricultural Credit Cooperative Financing scope to tenanted rice and corn lands and set the retention limit at 7
Administration) -- Provided small farmers and share tenants loans with low hectares.
interest rates of six to eight percent.
President Corazon C. Aquino (1986-1992)
President Carlos P. Garcia (1957-1961)
The Constitution ratified by the Filipino people during the administration of President Fidel V. Ramos (1992-1998)
President Corazon C. Aquino provides under Section 21 under Article II that “The
State shall promote comprehensive rural development and agrarian reform.” When President Fidel V. Ramos formally took over in 1992, his administration came
face to face with publics who have lost confidence in the agrarian reform program.
On June 10, 1988, former President Corazon C. Aquino signed into law Republic Act His administration committed to the vision “Fairer, faster and more meaningful
No. 6657 or otherwise known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL). implementation of the Agrarian Reform Program.
The law became effective on June 15, 1988.
President Fidel V. Ramos enacted the following laws:
Subsequently, four Presidential issuances were released in July 1987 after 48
nationwide consultations before the actual law was enacted.  Republic Act No. 7881, 1995 – Amended certain provisions of RA 6657 and
exempted fishponds and prawns from the coverage of CARP.
President Corazon C. Aquino enacted the following laws:  Republic Act No. 7905, 1995 – Strengthened the implementation of the
CARP.
 Executive Order No. 228, July 16, 1987 – Declared full ownership to  Executive Order No. 363, 1997 – Limits the type of lands that may be
qualified farmer-beneficiaries covered by PD 27. It also determined the converted by setting conditions under which limits the type of lands that
value remaining unvalued rice and corn lands subject of PD 27 and may be converted by setting conditions under which specific categories of
provided for the manner of payment by the FBs and mode of agricultural land are either absolutely non-negotiable for conversion or
compensation to landowners. highly restricted for conversion.
 Executive Order No. 229, July 22, 1987 – Provided mechanism for the  Republic Act No. 8435, 1997 (Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act
implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). AFMA) – Plugged the legal loopholes in land use conversion.
 Proclamation No. 131, July 22, 1987 – Instituted the CARP as a major  Republic Act 8532, 1998 (Agrarian Reform Fund Bill) – Provided an
program of the government. It provided for a special fund known as the additional Php50 billion for CARP and extended its implementation for
Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF), with an initial amount of Php50 billion to another 10 years.
cover the estimated cost of the program from 1987-1992.
 Executive Order No. 129-A, July 26, 1987 – streamlined and expanded the President Joseph E. Estrada (1998-2000)
power and operations of the DAR.
 Republic Act No. 6657, June 10, 1988 (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform “ERAP PARA SA MAHIRAP’. This was the battle cry that endeared President Joseph
Law) – An act which became effective June 15, 1988 and instituted a Estrada and made him very popular during the 1998 presidential election.
comprehensive agrarian reform program to promote social justice and
industrialization providing the mechanism for its implementation and for President Joseph E. Estrada initiated the enactment of the following law:
other purposes. This law is still the one being implemented at present.
 Executive Order No. 405, June 14, 1990 – Vested in the Land Bank of the
Executive Order N0. 151, September 1999 (Farmer’s Trust Fund) – Allowed the
Philippines the responsibility to determine land valuation and
voluntary consolidation of small farm operation into medium and large scale
compensation for all lands covered by CARP.
integrated enterprise that can access long-term capital.
 Executive Order No. 407, June 14, 1990 – Accelerated the acquisition and
distribution of agricultural lands, pasture lands, fishponds, agro-forestry
lands and other lands of the public domain suitable for agriculture.
During his administration, President Estrada launched the Magkabalikat Para sa President Benigno Aquino III vowed during his 2012 State of the Nation Address
Kaunlarang Agraryo or MAGKASAKA. The DAR forged into joint ventures with that he would complete before the end of his term the Comprehensive Agrarian
private investors into agrarian sector to make FBs competitive. Reform Program (CARP), the centerpiece program of the administration of his
mother, President Corazon Aquino.
However, the Estrada Administration was short lived. The masses who put him into
office demanded for his ouster. The younger Aquino distributed their family-owned Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac. Apart
from the said farm lots, he also promised to complete the distribution of privately-
President Gloria Macapacal-Arroyo (2000-2010) owned lands of productive agricultural estates in the country that have escaped the
coverage of the program.
The agrarian reform program under the Arroyo administration is anchored on the
vision “To make the countryside economically viable for the Filipino family by Under his administration, the Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and
building partnership and promoting social equity and new economic opportunities Economic Support Services (ARCCESS) project was created to contribute to the
towards lasting peace and sustainable rural development.” overall goal of rural poverty reduction especially in agrarian reform areas.

Land Tenure Improvement - DAR will remain vigorous in implementing land Agrarian Production Credit Program (APCP) provided credit support for crop
acquisition and distribution component of CARP. The DAR will improve land tenure production to newly organized and existing agrarian reform beneficiaries’
system through land distribution and leasehold. organizations (ARBOs) and farmers’ organizations not qualified to avail themselves
of loans under the regular credit windows of banks.
Provision of Support Services - CARP not only involves the distribution of lands but
also included package of support services which includes: credit assistance, The legal case monitoring system (LCMS), a web-based legal system for recording
extension services, irrigation facilities, roads and bridges, marketing facilities and and monitoring various kinds of agrarian cases at the provincial, regional and
training and technical support programs. central offices of the DAR to ensure faster resolution and close monitoring of
agrarian-related cases, was also launched.
Infrastrucre Projects - DAR will transform the agrarian reform communities (ARCs),
an area focused and integrated delivery of support services, into rural economic Aside from these initiatives, Aquino also enacted Executive Order No. 26, Series of
zones that will help in the creation of job opportunities in the countryside. 2011, to mandate the Department of Agriculture-Department of Environment and
Natural Resources-Department of Agrarian Reform Convergence Initiative to
KALAHI ARZone - The KALAHI Agrarian Reform (KAR) Zones were also launched. develop a National Greening Program in cooperation with other government
These zones consists of one or more municipalities with concentration of ARC agencies.
population to achieve greater agro-productivity.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (2016 – present) 
Agrarian Justice - To help clear the backlog of agrarian cases, DAR will hire more
paralegal officers to support undermanned adjudicatory boards and introduce Under his leadership, the President wants to pursue an “aggressive” land reform
quota system to compel adjudicators to work faster on agrarian reform cases. DAR program that would help alleviate the life of poor Filipino farmers by prioritizing the
will respect the rights of both farmers and landowners. provision of support services alongside land distribution.

President Benigno Aquino III (2010-2016)

The President directed the DAR to launch the 2nd phase of agrarian reform where
landless farmers would be awarded with undistributed lands under the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

Duterte plans to place almost all public lands, including military reserves, under
agrarian reform.

The President also placed 400 hectares of agricultural lands in Boracay under CARP.

Under his administration the DAR created an anti-corruption task force to

investigate and handle reports on alleged anomalous activities by officials and
employees of the department.

The Department also pursues an “Oplan Zero Backlog” in the resolution of cases in
relation to agrarian justice delivery of the agrarian reform program to fast-track the
implementation of CARP.