Agrarian (Land) Reform in the Philippines During Spanish Period

Historically,land-related remedies extended by past regimes and administrators proved to be

totally unable to fulfill the promise of alleviating the quality of life of the landless peasants.
The land laws have invariably contained provisions that enabled powerful landowners to
circumvent the law, or even use the law to sustain and further strengthen their positions in
power.
Pre Spanish Era - Land was not unequally distributed before the Spaniards came to the Philippines.
- The notion of private property was unknown then. - The community (barangay) owned the land.
Pre-Spanish Era
Spanish Period (1521-1898)
One of the major initial policies of the governorship of Legazpi was to recognize all lands in
the Philippines as part of public domain regardless of local customs. As such, the crown was
at liberty to parcel out huge tracts of Philippine lands as rewards to loyal civilian and military
as rewards.
In effect, communal ownership of land gradually and slowly took the backseat. Private
ownership of land was introduced. With this arrangement, every municipal resident was
given his choice of the land for cultivation, free from tax. Spanish Period (1521-1898)
Large tracts of uncultivated lands not circumscribed within a given municipality were granted
by the Spanish monarch to deserving Spaniards. This kind of ownership became known as
the encomienda.
The encomienda system in the Spanish colonies began as a result of a Royal Order
promulgated in December of 1503. By virtue of this Royal Order, encomiendas were
granted to favor Spanish officials and clerics who were entrusted the responsibility to look
after the spiritual and temporal developments of the natives in a colonized territory.
In return for such a duty, the encomiendas enjoyed the right to have a share in the tribute
(tributo) paid by the natives. Legazpi himself had granted encomiendas to the friars, like the
Agustinians in Cebu and Manila. Almost all the grants that Legazpi extended to the Spanish
officials and friars were confined to what would eventually become the provinces of Cavite,
Laguna, Batangas, and Bulacan.
Much later, in place of the encomiendas, the Spanish authorities began to group together
several barangays into administration units. They termed these units as pueblos or
municipios which were governed by gobernadorcillos. Together, the cabezas and
gobernadorcillos made up of the landed class known as caciques (landed class). At the
passing of time, the Filipino caciques intermarried with Spaniards. This gave such class as
mestizo cast which exists to this day. Through this enviable position, the cabezas the
gobernadorcillos gained more and more stature or prestige with the Spanish civil and
ecclesiastical authorities, and the common people.
In time, the caciques were given the prerogative of collecting taxes as well. This act vested in
them great power. Certainly, this did not help to endear them to the ordinary people.
Caciquism as an institution became deeply rooted in Philippine soil. This paved the way to
many present-day agrarian problems and unrests. As the cacique system grew, it also
became more oppressive. This brought about colonial uprisings during the 19th century,
which tended to occur in the areas with much agricultural activity such as Central Luzon.
Agrarian-related problems were the only source of major conflicts during this time. Land was
available in the entire archipelago. The major sources of conflict and rebellion were
really the harsh Spanish impositions, such as: tributo, polo, encomienda, etc.

During the 19th century, several developments occurred that solidified the land tenure
system, and aroused antagonism over its injustices and inequalities. Since the Spaniards did
not levy a land tax or a head tax (cedula), and few records of land-ownership were kept, the
Spanish government issued two Royal Decrees: decreto realenga (1880) and the Maura Law
(1894). These decrees ordered the caciques and natives, to secure legal title for their lands
or suffer forfeiture. The Filipino peasants, either ignorant of the processes of the law or of the
Spanish-written instructions, were just slow to respond. The landowners (caciques) were
quick to react. They did not only register their own landholdings but also took
advantage of the ignorance of the peasants, by claiming peasant lands adjacent to
their own holdings. It was estimated that 400,000 Filipino peasants were left without
titles. No option was left for those dispossessed because documented titles to the
land prevailed over verbal claims. Hence, most Filipino landed peasants became mere
tenants in their own lands. The Royal Decree of 1894 (Maura Law) deprived many
Filipino peasants of their own lands through scheming and treacherous ways of both
Spaniards and caciques.

Other strategies of dispossessing peasants of their landholdings were:

1. Outright purchase at a low price of real estates (realenga) by a Spaniard or a cacique,
from a badly-in-need peasants.
2. Mortgage system (pacto de retroventa); this is equivalent of today’s mortgage system
(sangla). The mortgage system is equivalent of today’s mortgage system (sangla), where a
landowner who has loaned a peasant some money becomes this peasant landlord. This
happened simply because the system required the land to be collateral. While the peasant
had not paid back his loan, he paid the landlord rent for the use of his own land.
Another source of land-related conflict by the late 19th century was the “friar lands”.
Many farmers questioned the amount of land in grant given by the Spanish crown to the
religious orders (i.e. Augustinians, Dominicans, Franciscans, and Recollect Orders).
Tenants (inquilinos) paid tax termed as “canon” to the friars.
source > https://www.slideshare.net/lolxie/land-reform-duing-spanish-period

Agrarian Reform History

Pre-Spanish Period
“This land is Ours God gave this land to us”
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 maharlikas (freemen), followed
by the aliping mamamahay (serfs) and aliping saguiguilid (slaves).
However, despite the existence of different classes in the social structure, practically everyone
had access to the fruits of the soil. Money was unknown, and rice served as the medium of
exchange.
Spanish Period
“United we stand, divided we fall”
When the Spaniards came to the Philippines, the concept of encomienda (Royal Land Grants)
was introduced. This system grants that Encomienderos must defend his encomienda from
external attack, maintain peace and order within, and support the missionaries. In turn, the
encomiendero acquired the right to collect tribute from the indios (native).
The system, however, degenerated into abuse of power by the encomienderos The tribute soon
became land rents to a few powerful landlords. And the natives who once cultivated the lands in
freedom were transformed into mere share tenants.
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
“Long live America”
Significant legislation enacted during the American Period:
Philippine Bill of 1902 – Set the ceilings on the hectarage of private individuals and corporations
may acquire: 16 has. for private individuals and 1,024 has. for corporations.
Land Registration Act of 1902 (Act No. 496) – Provided for a comprehensive registration of land
titles under the Torrens system.
Public Land Act of 1903 – introduced the homestead system in the Philippines.
Tenancy Act of 1933 (Act No. 4054 and 4113) – regulated relationships between landowners and
tenants of rice (50-50 sharing) and sugar cane lands.
The Torrens system, which the Americans instituted for the registration of lands, did 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 Torrens title.
Commonwealth Period
“Government for the Filipinos”
President Manuel L. Quezon espoused the "Social Justice" program to arrest the increasing
social unrest in Central Luzon.
Significant legislation enacted during Commonwealth Period:
1935 Constitution – "The promotion of social justice to ensure the well-being and economic
security of all people should be the concern of the State"
Commonwealth Act No. 178 (An Amendment to Rice Tenancy Act No. 4045), Nov. 13, 1936 –
Provided for certain controls in the landlord-tenant relationships
National Rice and Corn Corporation (NARIC), 1936 – Established the price of rice and corn
thereby help the poor tenants as well as consumers.
Commonwealth Act. No. 461, 1937 – Specified reasons for the dismissal of tenants and only with
the approval of the Tenancy Division of the Department of Justice.
Rural Program Administration, created March 2, 1939 – Provided the purchase and lease of
haciendas and their sale and lease to the tenants.
Commonwealth Act No. 441 enacted on June 3, 1939 – Created the National Settlement
Administration with a capital stock of P20,000,000.
Japanese Occupation
“The Era of Hukbalahap”
The Second World War II started in Europe in 1939 and in the Pacific in 1941.
Hukbalahap controlled whole areas of Central Luzon; landlords who supported the Japanese lost
their lands to peasants while those who supported the Huks earned fixed rentals in favor of the
tenants.
Unfortunately, the end of war also signaled the end of gains acquired by the peasants.
Upon the arrival of the Japanese in the Philippines in 1942, peasants and workers organizations
grew strength. Many peasants took up arms and identified themselves with the anti-Japanese
group, the HUKBALAHAP (Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon).
Philippine Republic
“The New Republic”
After the establishment of the Philippine Independence in 1946, the problems of land tenure
remained. These became worst in certain areas. Thus the Congress of the Philippines revised the
tenancy law.
President Manuel A. Roxas (1946-1948) enacted the following laws:
Republic Act No. 34 -- Established the 70-30 sharing arrangements and regulating share-
tenancy contracts.
Republic Act No. 55 -- Provided for a more effective safeguard against arbitrary ejectment of
tenants.
Elpidio R. Quirino (1948-1953) enacted the following law:
Executive Order No. 355 issued on October 23, 1950 -- Replaced the National Land Settlement
Administration with Land Settlement Development Corporation (LASEDECO) which takes over
the responsibilities of the Agricultural Machinery Equipment Corporation and the Rice and Corn
Production Administration.
Ramon Magsaysay (1953-1957) enacted the following laws:
Republic Act No. 1160 of 1954 -- Abolished the LASEDECO and established the National
Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration (NARRA) to resettle dissidents and landless
farmers. It was particularly aimed at rebel returnees providing home lots and farmlands in
Palawan and Mindanao.
Republic Act No. 1199 (Agricultural Tenancy Act of 1954) -- governed the relationship between
landowners and tenant farmers by organizing share-tenancy and leasehold system. The law
provided the security of tenure of tenants. It also created the Court of Agrarian Relations.
Republic Act No. 1400 (Land Reform Act of 1955) -- Created the Land Tenure Administration
(LTA) which was responsible for the acquisition and distribution of large tenanted rice and corn
lands over 200 hectares for individuals and 600 hectares for corporations.
Republic Act No. 821 (Creation of Agricultural Credit Cooperative Financing Administration) --
Provided small farmers and share tenants loans with low interest rates of six to eight percent.
President Carlos P. Garcia (1957-1961)
Continued the program of President Ramon Magsaysay. No new legislation passed.
President Diosdado P. Macapagal (1961-1965) enacted the following law:
Republic Act No. 3844 of August 8, 1963 (Agricultural Land Reform Code) -- Abolished share
tenancy, institutionalized leasehold, set retention limit at 75 hectares, invested rights of
preemption and redemption for tenant farmers, provided for an administrative machinery for
implementation, institutionalized a judicial system of agrarian cases, incorporated extension,
marketing and supervised credit system of services of farmer beneficiaries.
The RA was hailed as one that would emancipate Filipino farmers from the bondage of tenancy.
President Ferdinand E. Marcos (1965-1986)
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 proclaimed a land reform area and
simultaneously the Agrarian Reform Program was decreed.
President Marcos enacted the following laws:
Republic Act No. 6389, (Code of Agrarian Reform) and RA No. 6390 of 1971 -- Created the
Department of Agrarian Reform and the Agrarian Reform Special Account Fund. It strengthen
the position of farmers and expanded the scope of agrarian reform.
Presidential Decree No. 2, September 26, 1972 -- Declared the country under land reform
program. It enjoined all agencies and offices of the government to extend full cooperation and
assistance to the DAR. It also activated the Agrarian Reform Coordinating Council.
Presidential Decree No. 27, October 21, 1972 -- Restricted land reform scope to tenanted rice
and corn lands and set the retention limit at 7 hectares.
President Corazon C. Aquino (1986-1992)
The Constitution ratified by the Filipino people during the administration of President Corazon
C. Aquino provides under Section 21 under Article II that “The State shall promote
comprehensive rural development and agrarian reform.”
On June 10, 1988, former President Corazon C. Aquino signed into law Republic Act No. 6657 or
otherwise known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL). The law became effective
on June 15, 1988.
Subsequently, four Presidential issuances were released in July 1987 after 48 nationwide
consultations before the actual law was enacted.
President Corazon C. Aquino enacted the following laws:
Executive Order No. 228, July 16, 1987 – Declared full ownership to qualified farmer-
beneficiaries covered by PD 27. It also determined the value remaining unvalued rice and corn
lands subject of PD 27 and provided for the manner of payment by the FBs and mode of
compensation to landowners.
Executive Order No. 229, July 22, 1987 – Provided mechanism for the implementation of the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
Proclamation No. 131, July 22, 1987 – Instituted the CARP as a major program of the
government. It provided for a special fund known as the Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF), with an
initial amount of Php50 billion to cover the estimated cost of the program from 1987-1992.
Executive Order No. 129-A, July 26, 1987 – streamlined and expanded the power and operations
of the DAR.
Republic Act No. 6657, June 10, 1988 (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law) – An act which
became effective June 15, 1988 and instituted a comprehensive agrarian reform program to
promote social justice and industrialization providing the mechanism for its implementation and
for 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 Philippines the
responsibility to determine land valuation and compensation for all lands covered by CARP.
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.
President Fidel V. Ramos (1992-1998)
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. His administration
committed to the vision “Fairer, faster and more meaningful implementation of the Agrarian
Reform Program.
President Fidel V. Ramos enacted the following laws:
Republic Act No. 7881, 1995 – Amended certain provisions of RA 6657 and exempted fishponds
and prawns from the coverage of CARP.
Republic Act No. 7905, 1995 – Strengthened the implementation of the CARP.
Executive Order No. 363, 1997 – Limits the type of lands that may be converted by setting
conditions under which limits the type of lands that may be converted by setting conditions
under which specific categories of agricultural land are either absolutely non-negotiable for
conversion or highly restricted for conversion.
Republic Act No. 8435, 1997 (Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act AFMA) – Plugged the
legal loopholes in land use conversion.
Republic Act 8532, 1998 (Agrarian Reform Fund Bill) – Provided an additional Php50 billion for
CARP and extended its implementation for another 10 years.
President Joseph E. Estrada (1998-2000)
“ERAP PARA SA MAHIRAP’. This was the battle cry that endeared President Joseph Estrada and
made him very popular during the 1998 presidential election.
President Joseph E. Estrada initiated the enactment of the following law:
Executive Order N0. 151, September 1999 (Farmer’s Trust Fund) – Allowed the voluntary
consolidation of small farm operation into medium and large scale integrated enterprise that
can access long-term capital.
During his administration, President Estrada launched the Magkabalikat Para sa Kaunlarang
Agraryo or MAGKASAKA. The DAR forged into joint ventures with private investors into agrarian
sector to make FBs competitive.
However, the Estrada Administration was short lived. The masses who put him into office
demanded for his ouster.
President Gloria Macapacal-Arroyo (2000-2010)
The agrarian reform program under the Arroyo administration is anchored on the vision “To
make the countryside economically viable for the Filipino family by building partnership and
promoting social equity and new economic opportunities towards lasting peace and sustainable
rural development.”
Land Tenure Improvement - DAR will remain vigorous in implementing land acquisition and
distribution component of CARP. The DAR will improve land tenure system through land
distribution and leasehold.
Provision of Support Services - CARP not only involves the distribution of lands but also
included package of support services which includes: credit assistance, extension services,
irrigation facilities, roads and bridges, marketing facilities and training and technical support
programs.
Infrastrucre Projects - DAR will transform the agrarian reform communities (ARCs), an area
focused and integrated delivery of support services, into rural economic zones that will help in
the creation of job opportunities in the countryside.
KALAHI ARZone - The KALAHI Agrarian Reform (KAR) Zones were also launched. These zones
consists of one or more municipalities with concentration of ARC population to achieve greater
agro-productivity.
Agrarian Justice - To help clear the backlog of agrarian cases, DAR will hire more paralegal
officers to support undermanned adjudicatory boards and introduce quota system to compel
adjudicators to work faster on agrarian reform cases. DAR will respect the rights of both farmers
and landowners.
President Benigno Aquino III (2010-2016)
President Benigno Aquino III vowed during his 2012 State of the Nation Address that he would
complete before the end of his term the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), the
centerpiece program of the administration of his mother, President Corazon Aquino.
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-owned lands of
productive agricultural estates in the country that have escaped the coverage of the program.
Under his administration, the Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support
Services (ARCCESS) project was created to contribute to the overall goal of rural poverty
reduction especially in agrarian reform areas.
Agrarian Production Credit Program (APCP) provided credit support for crop production to
newly organized and existing agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) and farmers’
organizations not qualified to avail themselves of loans under the regular credit windows of
banks.
The legal case monitoring system (LCMS), a web-based legal system for recording and
monitoring various kinds of agrarian cases at the provincial, regional and central offices of the
DAR to ensure faster resolution and close monitoring of agrarian-related cases, was also
launched.
Aside from these initiatives, Aquino also enacted Executive Order No. 26, Series of 2011, to
mandate the Department of Agriculture-Department of Environment and Natural Resources-
Department of Agrarian Reform Convergence Initiative to develop a National Greening Program
in cooperation with other government agencies.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (2016 – present)
Under his leadership, the President wants to pursue an “aggressive” land reform program that
would help alleviate the life of poor Filipino farmers by prioritizing the provision of support
services alongside land distribution.
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.
SOURCE > http://www.dar.gov.ph/about-us/agrarian-reform-history/
Agrarian Reform is very significant for the economy of any country because more than half of the
population is employed in the agricultural sector. Agriculture is the main source of livelihood
especially for the developing countries. Reforms are important because they protect the rights of the
farmers .
Definition of Agrarian Reform
Agrarian Reform could be defined as the rectification of the whole system of agriculture. It is
normally done by the government where they redistribute the agricultural land among the farmers of
the country. The agrarian reform is concerned with the relation between production and distribution
of land among the farmers. It also concerns the processing of the raw materials that are produced by
farming the land from the respective industries.
History of Agrarian Reform
Agrarian Reform on the different Eras of the Philippines
Pre-Colonial Times (Before 16th Century)
• Land was commonly owned by the community known as barangay. This is a small unit
of government consisting of 30- 100 families administered by the chiefs. Everyone in the barangay
regardless of status had access on the land and mutually shares resources and the fruits of their
labour. They believed and practiced the concept of “stewardship” where relationship between man
and nature is important.
• Land cultivation was done commonly by kaingin system or the slash and burn method
wherein land was cleared by burning the bushes before planting the crops or either land was plowed
and harrowed before planting.
• Maragtas Code seems to be the only recorded transaction of land sale during this time.
This tells us about the selling of the Panay Island by the natives to the ten Bornean datus in
exchange of a golden salakot and a long gold necklace.
SPANISH ERA (1521-1896) • The colonial government at this period introduced a pueblo
agriculture, a system wherein native rural communities were organized into pueblo and each
Christianized native family is given a four to five hectares of land to cultivate. The pueblo agriculture
practiced no share cropper class or landless class.
• The native families were merely landholders and not landowners. By law, the land
assigned to them was the property of the Spanish King where they pay their colonial tributes
to the Spanish authorities in the form of agricultural products they produced.
• Through the Laws of the Indies, the Spanish crown awarded vast tracts of land to wit: a
Friar lands for the religious orders; Repartiamentos for lands granted to the Spanish
military as a reward for their service; and Encomienda a large tracts of land given to
Spaniards (encomiendero) to manage and have the right to receive tributes from the natives
tilling it. Natives within these areas became mere tillers working for a share of crops.They did
not even have any rights to the land.
• Abusive encomienderos collected more tributes that became the land rentals from the
natives living in the area. A compras y vandalas system was practiced wherein tillers were
made to compulsory sell at a very low price or surrender their agricultural harvests to
Spanish authorities where encomienderos can resell it for a profit. People of the
encomiendas were also required to render personal services on public and religious work
and as a household help to the encomienderos.
• The Spanish crown made a law in 1865 ordering landholders to register their landholdings.
Only those who were aware of these decrees benefited. Ancestral lands were claimed and
registered in other people’s names (Spanish officials or local chieftains). As a result, many
peasant families were driven out from the lands they have been cultivating for centuries or
were forced to become tillers.
• As more tillers were abused, exploited and deprived of their rights, the revolution of
peasants and farmers in 1896 articulated their aspirations for agrarian reform and for a just
society. Women also fought for freedom and played an important role in the planning and
implementing the activities of the revolutionary movements.
• The revolutionary government confiscated the large landed estates, especially the friar
lands and declared these as properties of the government. (Malolos Constitution, 1896,
Article XVII)
AMERICAN ERA (1898-1935) • Realizing that being landless was the main cause of social
unrest and revolt at that time, the Americans sought to put an end to the miserable conditions of the
tenant tillers and small farmers by passing several land policies to widen the base of small
landholdings and distribute land ownership among the greater number of Filipino tenants and
farmers.
• Philippine Bill of 1902 -This law provided regulations on the disposal of public lands
wherein a private individual can own 16 hectares of land while the corporate land holdings
can avail of 1, 024 hectares. This also gave the rights to the Americans to own agricultural
lands. Some 400,000 native farmers were without titles at the start of the American era, this
situation was also aggravated by the absence of records of issued titles and accurate land
surveys. To remedy the situation, the Torrens system was then introduced to replace the
registration system implemented by the Spaniards.
• Homestead program of 1903 -This program allowed an enterprising tenant to acquire a
farm of at least 16 hectares to cultivate. However, the program was not implemented
nationwide and was introduced only in some parts of Mindanao and Northern Luzon, where
there were available public alienable and disposable lands.
• There was no limit on the size of landholdings one could possess. Landholdings were once
again concentrated in the hands of fewer individuals who can afford to buy, register, and
acquire fixed titles of their properties. Hence, more lands were placed under tenancy.
• There were widespread peasant uprisings, headed by the armed peasants’ groups known
as Colorum and Sakdalista of Luzon and Northeastern Mindanao respectively. These
uprisings resulted to social disorder in 1920’s and 1930’s. Hence, more militant peasants and
workers’ organizations bonded together for a more collective action against the abuses of
landlords and unjust landownership situation. This gave birth to the Communist Party of the
Philippines.
Commonwealth Years (1935-1942) • The government under the stewardship of President
Quezon realized that land reform programs should be implemented immediately. They saw the
purchase of friar lands as a possible way to solve the problem of inequitable land ownership. They
also saw that the Homestead program could be transformed into a massive resettlement program, if
properly implemented.
JAPANESE ERA • During this occupation, peasants and workers organized the
HUKBALAHAP (Hukbong Bayan Laban sa mga Hapon) on March 29, 1942 as an anti-
Japanese group. They took over vast tracts of land and gave the land and harvest to the
people.
• For them, the war was a golden opportunity for people’s initiative to push pro-poor
programs. Landlords were overpowered by the peasants but unfortunately at the end of the
war, through the help of the military police and civilian guards landlords were able to retrieve
their lands from the HUKBALAHAP.

Government Initiatives on Agrarian Reform

Manuel L. Quezon (1935-1944)

• President Quezon laid down a social justice program focused on the purchased of large
haciendas which were divided and sold to tenants. This administration was responsible
in establishing the National Rice and Corn Corporation (NARICC) and assigning public
defenders to assist peasants in court battles for their rights to till the land.
• Budget allocation for the settlement program made it impossible for the program to
succeed. Widespread peasant uprising against abusive landlords continued.
• In addition, the outbreak of the World War II put a stopped to the landownership and
tenancy interventions during this period.
Manuel Roxas (1946-1948)
• Republic Act No. 34 was enacted to establish a 70-30 sharing arrangement between
tenant and landlord. The 70% of the harvest will go to the person who shouldered the
expenses for planting, harvesting and for the work animals.
• President Roxas negotiated for the purchase of 8,000 hectares of lands in Batangas
owned by the Ayala-Zobel family. These were sold to landless farmers.
• However, due to lack of support facilities, these farmers were forced to resell their
lands to the landowning class. This failure gave basis to doubt the real meaning of
land reform program.
Elpidio Quirino (1948-1953)
• Through Executive Order No. 355, the Land Settlement Development Corporation
(LASEDECO) was established to accelerate and expand the peasant resettlement program
of the government. However, due to limited post-war resources, the program was not
successful.
Ramon Magsaysay (1953-1957)
• President Magsaysay realized the importance of pursuing a more honest-to-goodness land
reform program. He convinced the elite controlled congress to pass several legislation to
improve the land reform situation.
• Out of the targeted 300 haciendas for distribution, only 41 were distributed after its 7 years
of implementation. This was due to lack of funds and inadequate support services provided
for these programs. Landlords continued to be uncooperative and critical to the program; and
landownership and tenancy problems continued.
Carlos P. Garcia (1957-1961)
• There was no legislation passed in his term but he continued to implement the land reform
programs of President Magsaysay.
Diosdasdo Macapagal (1961-1965)
• President Diosdado Macapagal was considered the “Father of Agrarian Reform”
• It was during his term that the Agricultural Land Reform Code or RA No. 3844 was
enacted on August 8, 1963. This was considered to be the most comprehensive piece
of agrarian reform legislation ever enacted in the country that time.
• This Act abolished share tenancy in the Philippines. It prescribed a program converting the
tenant farmers to lessees and eventually into owner-cultivators;
• It aimed to free tenants from the bondage of tenancy and gave hope to poor Filipino
farmers to own the land they are tilling.
• It emphasized owner-cultivatorship and farmer independence, equity, productivity
improvement and the public distribution of land.
• This act was piloted in the provinces of Pangasinan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga,
Tarlac, Occidental Mindoro, Camarines Sur and Misamis Oriental. It acquired a total of
18,247.06 hectares or 99.29% out of the total scope of 18,377.05 hectares. The program
benefited 7,466 Farmer Beneficiaries. (BLAD-DAR Official Records)
Ferdinand E. Marcos (1965-1986)
• Presidential Decree No. 27 became the heart of the Marcos reform. It provided for
tenanted lands devoted to rice and corn to pass ownership to the tenants, and lowered the
ceilings for landholdings to 7 hectares. The law stipulated that share tenants who worked
from a landholding of over 7 hectares could purchase the land they tilled, while share tenants
on land less than 7 hectares would become leaseholders.
• This agrarian reform program was designed to uplift the farmers from poverty and
ignorance and to make them useful, dignified, responsible and progressive partners in
nation-building. This AR program was a package of services extended to farmers in the form
of credit support, infrastructure, farm extension, legal assistance, electrification and
development of rural institutions.
• Five major components of President Marcos’ Agrarian Reform Program
Land Tenure Program
Institutional Development
Physical Development
Agricultural Development
Human Resources
• President Marcos’ agrarian reform program was labeled as “revolutionary” by some
sectors, for two reasons: It was pursued under Martial Law and intended to make quick
changes without going through legislative or technical processes; and It was the only law in
the Philippines ever done in handwriting.
• Scope of program was limited only to tenanted, privately- owned rice and corn lands; •
Foreign and local firms were allowed to use large tracks of land for their business; •
Declaration of Martial Law leading to the arrest of several farmer leaders without due
process of law due to suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus.
Corazon C. Aquino (1986-1992)
• Various sectors recognized agrarian reform as a worthwhile social investment. In terms of
the tenant-tiller status, this improved particularly those within landowners’ retained areas or
on landholdings subject for coverage.
• It’s during this administration that the present adjudication system was introduced. This
gave DAR, the original and exclusive jurisdiction over agrarian disputes as quasi-judicial
powers.
• Also, livelihood and agro-industrial projects promoted and program of support services
were intensified to help farmer beneficiaries become productive and transform them into
entrepreneurs.
• This administration received much support and active involvement in program
implementation from key stakeholders such as people’s organization, farmer’s association,
NGO’s and from prominent landowners themselves.
• Despite the Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF), this administration experienced a major
budgetary shortfall due to low remittances from the Asset Privatization Trust and the
Presidential Commission on Good Government.
• This administration also experienced constant changes in DAR leadership. This led to lack
of continuity of priority, programs and projects.
• Allegation on lack of political wills leadership and genuine commitment to implement the
program. Critics say that the President could have implemented a genuine agrarian reform
program because of her revolutionary powers after People Power I.
Fidel V. Ramos (1992-1998)
• The Ramos administration is recognized for bringing back support of key stakeholders of
CARP by bridging certain policy gaps on land acquisition and distribution, land valuation, and
case resolution.
• It is also credited for enhancing internal operating systems and strengthening the
capabilities of the DAR bureaucracy. This administration is also credited for tapping more
resources to help implement the program.
• Failure in enforcing the installation of some farmer beneficiaries on awarded lands became
an issue for this administration.
• Critics say that “non-physical installation of FBs has been the norm rather then the
exception.
• Some sectors also .complained on the slowness of this administration in the acquisition and
distribution of privately owned lands. Although this administration was credited for having the
biggest accomplishment in terms of LAD, critics say this is because the land acquired and
distributed were more on public lands and rice and corn lands.
Joseph Ejercito Estrada (1998-2001)
• This administration saw the urgency of land distribution, and believed that it can be served
if it is built on farmers’ capacities to pursue their own development.
• One of the first things this administration did was to rework performance targets – by
focusing on the number of hectares of land distributed coupled with an accounting of farmer
beneficiaries and the specific croplands and farm systems covered.
• This approach sought to integrate land distribution and support services. It was during this
period that DAR launched a series of land occupations by working with farmer claimants, the
LGU and government security forces.
• Fiscal constraints encountered by this administration resulted to unpaid or delayed
payment of landowners covered under the compulsory acquisition and VOS schemes.
• There were also issues on inter and intra ARBs conflicts due to arguments for control over
negotiations with prospective joint venture partners, some ofwhich became violent.
President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo (2001 – 2010)
• The GMA administration has adopted the BAYAN-ANIHAN concept as the implementing
framework for CARP.
• Bayan means people, Anihan means harvest and Bayanihan means working together.
Applied to CARP, Bayan_Anihan means a united people working together for the successful
implementation of agrarian reform.
• This administration is also credited in heightening agrarian case resolution by introducing a
quota system to compel adjudicators to work faster on agrarian cases and train farmers into
paralegals.
Benigno C. Aquino (2010–up to present)
• Under the governance of President Aquino, the DAR which is the lead agency for CARP
implementation is bent on sustaining the gains of agrarian reform through its three major
components– Land Tenure Improvement (LTI), Program Beneficiaries Development (PBD)
and Agrarian Justice Delivery (AJD).
• Together with the efforts to fight graft and corruption by the President, it is imperative to
have institutional reforms within DAR as a complement to the abovementioned DAR
components as well as give credence, transparency and accountability at all sectors of the
DAR bureaucracy.
Source > https://www.slideshare.net/FayeMadrigal1/history-of-agrarian-reform