CHAPTER 5

The History of Philippine Agrarian Problem

THE PHILIPPINE AGRARIAN PROBLEM:

1. Land and people , agricultural and social

 Sometimes the person who tills the land does not own it and the person who owns the
land does not till it.
 The non-tilling owner get more income while the non- owning tiller gets relatively
poorer and poorer.

2. Productivity and human rights

 Inefficient finance and marketing services for farm products

 Average size of land holdings is very small
 Modern agricultural practices and uses of technology is inadequate
 Irrigation facilities are inadequate

3. BASIC Problem of Philippine society

 Farmers get poorer

 They cannot afford to pay the taxes, government cannot raise sufficient revenue which
to support its operations.
 They only flock their lucks on the cities
 There is overcrowding ‘urban squatting” unemployment and crimes

4. Land distribution and utilization

 Land is necessary for all human beings and everybody has the rights to use land for
survival
 The right to use is given to all individuals but the matter to be used is limited and the
number of users is unlimited.
 The right to own property is universal yet limited.

I. Pre-spanish land situation

a) Land patterns
1. Tribal hunters – No system of land ownership
2. Shifting cultivators – regarding all land is their public domain, although they did not choose
to cultivate all of the land.
3. Sedentary culture - no formalized procedure for recognizes private ownership (tittle, tax
documents)
4. Muslims – pagan system – one who has little or no religion and who delights in sensual
pleasures and good material goods
b) Social Classes
3 main classes ruled over by a head or datu
1. Nobles – free from tribute payment could own the land and paid few exaction to the chief.
2. Serfs – entitled to cultivate the certain lands but were required to pay annual fee of one half
of the yield to their crops to the datu.
3. Slaves – served the datu or nobles .

II. Development of Tenancy Under Spain

 1. Encomienda system – declared all land of the Philippines as part of public domain.
2. Rise of the cacique class
3. Early Rebellions - because of the oppressive practice of the cacique rebellions occurred in
18th century in central Luzon causes:
a) Enforced labor
b) Relatively heavy and head tax
c) Required church and government contributions
4. Conflicts over land ownership - land scarcity, insecurity of tenure. The lure of valuable
resources.
5. Friar lands – lands are not public but private and patrimonial lands of the government.

III. The land tenure situation under the America regime

 Actual increase in tenancy state

 Purchase of friars lands
 Homesteading
 Rice share tenancy
 Sugar cane tenancy

IV. THE PRESENT REPUBLIC

July 04, 1946 the need of land reform become pressing HUKBALAHAP (Hukbong Bayan Laban sa
mga Hapon) as an anti –japanese Guerrilla movement form by The peasant of central Luzon.
R.A 34 of 1946 President Manuel Roxas enacted providing for sharing arrangement and
regulating share tenancy contact to solve the land tenure problems , 70 % ( land owner) 30 %
(tenant )
Sept. 1954 President Ramon Magsaysay signed R.A no. 2263 which allowed the division of
crops.
1963 President Diosdado Macapagal signed into law R.A no. 3844 (Agricultural land reform
code)
September 21, 1972 President Marcos issued presidential decree no. 2 7 “emancipating the
tenant farmers from the bondage of the soil” in one stroke, tenant farmers in all private
agricultural ;lands primarily devoted to rice and corn were deemed owners of the lands they
were tilling. It was a very bold step taken toward hastening the full implementation and
realization of agrarian reform. Under the new constitution the primary governing law on
agrarian reform is RA no. 6657 known as the comprehensive agrarian reform law (CARL) of
1988.

THANK YOU.

REPORTED BY: GENEVIEVE PADILLA – BALINCAMAYA

ECONOMICS 101
  Agrarian reform is demanded by the moral laws under so many titles.
1. One reason concerns the peace and internal stability of our country.
2. Another reason for agrarian reform is the fact that the land-owner has been more than
compensated for his investment on land, while the tenant who made the landlords profits possible
is still immersed in poverty.
3. There is also the question of injustice involve in landlordism.
4. Another consideration concerns the innate tendency of everyman to own land.
5. A final consideration concerns the economy.

Legal Aspect of Agrarian Reform

1. Two vantage points.---strictly legal and sociological

2. Agrarian reform legislations to conform with constitution.
3. Constitutional mandates.
4. Policy development concerning agrarian reform.

Economics Aspect of Agrarian Reform

1. Vital position of agricultural in national economy.

2. Obstacles to agricultural productivity.
3. Agrarian reform an instrument for increasing agricultural productivity.

Political aspect of agrarian reform

1. Agrarian reform, top priority goal of the government.

2. Agrarian reform as a political process.

Socio – cultural aspect of agrarian reform

1. Agrarian reform a multifaceted program.

2. Assumptions about Filipino tenant farmer to mention only the relevant ones these are namely:
a. The tenancy problem has its roots in pre- Spanish and Spanish past. It is therefore a centuries old
problem.
b. Deeply rooted in history, the tenancy system created a kind of tenants to our strongly traditional a
highly dependent minded

Measures of Agrarian Reform

1. Public health provisions

2. Family planning
3. Education and training of farmers
4. Re organization of land reform agencies
5. Application of labour laws to agricultural workers
6. Construction of infrastructure pocilities
7. Organization of voluntary association
8. Provide employment of opportunities for underemployed or surplus rural labours
9. Community development services

ROLE OF THE FARMER IN THE AGRARIAN REFORM

The role of the government in agrarian reform is vital because the agrarian problem is a basic problem which
cannot be solved without the strong force of the sovereign will. On the other hand, the role of the farmer himself
is even more important. For the farmer is both the object and principal agent of the principal of agrarian reform.
The government has to remove the obstacles in order that a favorable climate for change may develop. But it is
the farmer who will buy and apply the fertilizer, pull out the weeds, fix and pay for the loans. In other words, it is
the farmer who will assume responsibility for the ultimate success of the program. To do this, he must be
informed, educated, motivated and organized thru self-help and self-discovery.

ROLE OF THE LANDLORDS IN THE AGRARIAN REFORM

1. Role in the past – in the distant as well as in the recent past, landowners have performed roles that were in
keeping with the needs of traditional society. When landed estates were held under feudalism, the landowners or
the feudal lords gave protection to the peasantry. In exchange for this protection the peasant paid tribute to the
landlords. Where the land was suited to agriculture, rental was paid by the peasant for the privilege of using the
land. As time passed, landowners started to provide services essential to agriculture. It soon became a matter of
course that the landowners provided for practically every need of the tenants. In the Philippines, this picture was
common to us. The dependence of the tenants was subject to the approval of the landowners.

2. New Role – historical evidence reveals that the rich countries are rich because they are highly industrialized,
while the poor countries remained poor because their economy is closely tied to agriculture. The objective of
agrarian is very clear: to establish owner – cultivator ship and the economic family size as the basis of Philippine
agriculture and as a consequence, divert landlord capital from agriculture to the industrial sector. Here, the new
role of the land owners is well – emphasized. If we want to develop, we must give more emphasis on industries.

3. Agrarian Reform not against landowners – agrarian reform is project designed for the tenants as well as for the
landowners. Even the absentee landlords cannot claim that they are being dispossessed because they are paid the
value of their lands transferred to their tenants and they are being given all the opportunities to invest in the
industries and other business ventures. Furthermore, they are allowed to retain a portion of their land.

GROUP 5 MEMBERS:

BALINCAMAYA, GENEVIEVE P.
ROLOMA, MARK PRIL T.
GONZALEZ, DANGIELY
ARIBAL, LIEZEL
PANOLDE, JONILINE
SAAVEDRA, FRAKLIN
DAQUIO,RONALD