Banaue Rice Terraces - The Eighth Wonder Of The World

Banaue Rice Terraces are the world’s oldest rice terraces. The 2,000 years old terraces were carved by indigenous
Filipino’s ancestors. The terraces are 1,500 meters above sea level and have an ancient but efficient irrigation system. The
crops which are planted on the terraces include rice and vegetables. Most the rice grown on the Banaue rice terraces are
exported. However, the yield has significantly reduced and as such the economic activity is shifting from rice exports to
tourism.

Uniqueness
The Banaue rice terraces are hand-hewn and exhibit spectacular ancient engineering feats. They have been in existence
for about 2,000 years without losing their importance to the Ifugao people and the Philippines as a nation. In fact, the
holy days and festivals of the Ifugao people are planned around the cultivation and harvesting of the rice planted on the
terraces. The terraces and the Ifugao people have a symbiotic relationship and one cannot do without the other.

Habitat
The Banaue rice terraces are located on the mountains found in the province of Ifugao in the Philippines. They cover
10,360 square kilometers of the mountainous side of the region. There are also rainforests above the terraces which are
the source of water used to set up the irrigation channels. Waters flowing through streams and springs are trapped and
used for the irrigating the Banaue terraces. The Banaue area has a cool and wet climate.

Tourism
The Banaue rice terraces are recognized as the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” It is said that if all the terraces were built
end to end, they would be able to cover half of the world. The site receives both local and foreign tourists yearly. The
terraces have hiking trails which guides use to take visitors around the terraces. Tourists engage in sight seeing activities
including visits to the Tappiyah falls. They also enjoy swimming in a natural pool called Gihob. The best time to visit the
Banaue terraces is during the planting season. It used to take visitors 10 hours to reach Banaue from Manila, which is the
capital city of Philippines. However, from May, a flight to Clark International Airport was launched. Now it only takes one
hour from the airport to the Banaue terraces.

Threats
The Banaue rice terraces were in the Danger List until 2012 when it was removed. This was because the terraces were
greatly endangered at the time. However, in 2012 there was hope that the rice terraces were being revived. One of the
major threats to the survival of the Banaue rice terraces is the negative effect of erosion on the terraces. The other
threat is abandonment of the terraces by young locals in a quest to seek better opportunities in the urban areas. This
rural-urban migration results to less people being available to tend to the terraces. A third threat is natural disasters such
as the 1990 earthquake and ElNino. Due to these concerns, the locals no longer manage the terraces like they used to.
Instead, the terraces are managed by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Provincial Government
of Ifugao. The aim of the Philippine government is to conserve and protect the Banaue rice terraces.

Link: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/banaue-rice-terraces-the-eighth-wonder-of-the-world.html

Sulu Raiders

Piracy in the Sulu Sea historically occurred in the vicinity of Mindanao, where frequent acts of piracy were committed
against the Spanish. Because of the continual wars between Spain and the Moro people, the areas in and around the
Sulu Sea became a haven for piracy which was not suppressed until the beginning of the 20th century. The pirates of that
period should not be confused with the naval forces or privateers of the various Moro tribes. However, many of the
pirates operated under government sanction during time of war.[1][2]:383–397 Following the end of World War II, piracy
in the Sulu Sea reemerged as a phenomenon that persists to this day.
Historical piracy

Ships
The pirate ships used by the Moros include various designs like the paraw, pangayaw, garay, and lanong. The majority
were wooden sailing galleys (lanong) about ninety feet long with a beam of twenty feet (27.4 by 6.1 m). They carried
around fifty to 100 crewmen. Moros usually armed their vessels with three swivel guns, called lelahs or lantakas, and
occasionally a heavy cannon. Proas were very fast and the pirates would prey on merchant ships becalmed in shallow
water as they passed through the Sulu Sea. Slave trading and raiding was also very common, the pirates would assemble
large fleets of proas and attack coastal towns. Hundreds of Christians were captured and imprisoned over the centuries,
many were used as galley slaves aboard the pirate ships.[3][4][unreliable source?]

Weapons
Other than muskets and rifles, the Moro pirates, as well as the navy sailors and the privateers, used a sword called the
kris with a wavy blade incised with blood channels. The wooden or ivory handle was often heavily ornamented with
silver or gold. The type of wound inflicted by its blade makes it difficult to heal. The kris was used often used in boarding
a vessel. Moros also used a Kampilan, another sword, a knife, or barong and a spear, made of bamboo and an iron
spearhead. The Moro's swivel guns were not like more modern guns used by the world powers but were of a much older
technology, making them largely inaccurate, especially at sea. Lantakas dated back to the 16th century and were up to six
feet long, requiring several men to lift one. They fired up to a half-pound cannonball or grape shot. A lantaka was bored
by hand and were sunk into a pit and packed with dirt to hold them in a vertical position. The barrel was then bored by a
company of men walking around in a circle to turn drill bits by hand.[1](Ch. 10)

History
The Spanish engaged the Moro pirates frequently in the 1840s. The expedition to Balanguingui in 1848 was commanded
by Brigadier José Ruiz with a fleet of nineteen small warships and hundreds of Spanish Army troops. They were opposed
by at least 1,000 Moros holed up in four forts with 124 cannons and plenty of small arms. There were also dozens of
proas at Balanguingui but the pirates abandoned their ships for the better defended fortifications. The Spanish stormed
three of the positions by force and captured the remaining one after the pirates had retreated. Over 500 prisoners were
freed in the operation and over 500 Moros were killed or wounded, they also lost about 150 proas. The Spanish lost
twenty-two men killed and around 210 wounded. The pirates later reoccupied the island in 1849. Another expedition
was sent which encountered only light resistance.[citation needed]

In the 1840s, James Brooke became the White Rajah of Sarawak and led a series of campaigns against the Moro pirates.
In 1843 Brooke attacked the pirates of Malludu and in June 1847 he participated in a major battle with pirates at Balanini
where dozens of proas were captured or sunk. Brooke fought in several more anti-piracy actions in 1849 as well. During
one engagement off Mukah with Illanun Sulus in 1862, his nephew, ex-army Captain Brooke, sank four proas, out of six
engaged, by ramming them with his small four-gun steamship Rainbow. Each pirate ship had over 100 crewmen and
galley slaves aboard and was armed with three brass swivel guns. Brooke lost only a few men killed or wounded while at
least 100 pirates were killed or wounded. Several prisoners were also released.[4][5]

Despite Spanish efforts to eradicate the pirate threat, piracy persisted until the early 1900s. Spain ceded the Philippines
to the United States as a result of the Spanish–American War in 1898, after which American troops embarked on a
pacification campaign from 1903 to 1913 that extended American rule to the southern Philippines and effectively
suppressed piracy.

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracy_in_the_Sulu_Sea
Education in the Philippines during the American Period (1898-1942) Educational Goals

Educational goal during the American period is to promote democratic ideals and way of life; formation of good citizens,
including the rights and responsibilities of people.

Highlights of Education during the American Time

Education Act of 1901 laid the foundation of the Philippine Public school system. In August 1901, 600 teachers are called
“Thomasites” arrived. English was made medium of instruction. Curricular structure and programs were patterned from
the U.S. There were 3 levels of education: Elementary level, Secondary or High school level, and College or Tertiary level.
New subject areas were introduced. Religion was not included in the curriculum of the schools. Normal, vocational,
agricultural, and business schools were also opened. Schools were also built in non- catholic areas like Sulu in Mindanao,
and in Mountain Province. Education under American colonization led to a widespread Americanization of the
Philippines. Through education, Americans had influenced many Filipinos in terms of what they like, eat, culture, and
demand on westernized products and lifestyle.
Link: https://www.academia.edu/6945428/Education_in_the_Philippines_during_the_American_Period_1898-1942?
auto=download

Link: https://www.scribd.com/doc/78332892/Spanish-Influence-on-the-Philippine-Educational-System
Nichols Field
Battle of the Philippines
On 8 December at about 03:30 the commercial radio station at Clark Field intercepted a message from Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii about the Japanese attack there. However, the group was unable to verify this interception through official
channels; no other action was taken other than notifying the Base Commander. However, all squadrons were put on
alert.

At about 04:00 the radar at Iba Airfield on the north coast of Luzon reported a formation of unidentified aircraft
approximately 75 miles off the West Coast of Luzon heading towards Corregidor. The 3d Pursuit Squadron was
dispatched to intercept the formation, but no planes were sighted and the squadron returned to Iba. However, the radar
tracks showed the interception was successful and the unidentified aircraft swung off to the west out of the range of the
Radar. It was believed that the 3d went underneath the formation. At 04:45 notification was received of a state of war
between the United States and the Japanese Empire.[4]

At approximately 09:30, a large formation of Japanese bombers was spotted over Lingayen Gulf reported heading
towards Manila. The 20th Pursuit Squadron from Clark Field was immediately dispatched to intercept the formation over
Roselas. The 17th Pursuit Squadron was ordered from Nichols Field to cover the airspace over Clark. The interception
was not successful, as the bombers turned to the northeast and attacked Baguio and Tagagarau then headed north off
the radar. Both squadrons returned to their stations and were refueled and put back on alert.[4][7]

Again at approximately 11:30 a large formation of bombers was reported over the China Sea heading towards Manila. P-
40 Warhawks took off from Nichols Field to intercept enemy aircraft spotted on radar, but failed to make contact. In the
afternoon, P-40s again took off from Nichols Field to patrol over Bataan and Manila. On 9 December shortly after
midnight, telephonic communications were re-established with Headquarters, FEAF. Intelligence reported that an
unidentified number of enemy aircraft were approaching from the north. A flight of six P-40s from the 17th Pursuit
Squadron was dispatched from Del Carmen Field to intercept. However, two of the aircraft were demolished on takeoff
due to an accident. The remaining planes proceeded to Nichols Field but were unable to accomplish any interception of
enemy aircraft in the dark and the night bombing of Nichols Field began at 03:15. In order to try and bring some of the
units up to strength, FEAF ordered the remainder of the 3d sent to Nichols Field to bring the 34th with its P-35s up to
strength.[7]

At the end of the 10th, Group fighter strength had been reduced to about 30 aircraft, with 8 being P-35s. Due to the
depleted strength of the Group, orders were received from FEAF Headquarters that pursuit planes were not to be
dispatched other than upon orders from Headquarters. The planes would be employed mainly as reconnaissance aircraft
to replace the 2d Observation Squadron, which was made inoperable after being mostly destroyed on the ground. Its
remaining planes were unarmed and sitting ducks if attacked.[7]

On the morning of 23 December the Japanese made a landing in San Miguel Bay along the east coast of the Lingayen
Gulf. The ground combat situation on Luzon quickly became desperate when a second set of major landings occurred
along the shore of Lamon Bay in southern Luzon. With the landings, the units at Nichols and Clark field withdrew to
dispersed bases on Luzon, and with General Douglas MacArthur's proclamation of Manila as an open city on 26
December, all FEAF personnel withdrew from Nichols Field. On the 28th Japanese forces occupied the airfield.[7]

Japanese occupation

After its occupation, Nichols Field became a fighter base for the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service. It was attacked on
several occasions by FEAF fighters. On the night of January 26/27, 1942 Fighters from Bataan Airfield, bombed and
strafed Nichols during the night inflicting considerable damage on Japanese aircraft and fuel storage. It was also attacked
by B-17 Flying Fortresses from Australia, on 12 April 1942 staging though Del Monte Field on Mindanao.[8]
After the capitulation of American forces in the Philippines, on 19 May 1942 the Japanese had American prisoner of war
(POW) pilots fly two P-40 Warhawks and a PT-17 Stearman biplane from Davao Airfield to Nichols. One of the P-40s was
delayed due to bad weather and landed at a small airstrip en route.[9] It was used as a Prisoner of War Camp ("Philippine
Military Prison Camp 306")[10] and also used as a combat airfield by the IJNAS 1021st Kōkūtai flying Mitsubishi G4M
medium bombers.
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nichols_Field

Colonel Jesus Villamor Air Base

The facility first came into existence in 1912 as an underdeveloped US Army Air Corps base, alternately called Nichols
Field, part of Camp Nichols. The Japanese took over the facility during World War II and used it as a bomber base.
Retaken by the United States during the conflict, it was turned over to Philippine control in 1948. The following year it
was renamed Nichols Air Base. In 1982, President Marcos renamed the base Jesus Villamor Air Base after a famous
World War II Philippine ace pilot and clandestine agent.
Link: https://www.paf.mil.ph/bases/colonel-jesus-villamor-air-base

Youth activists of martial law years share tales of courage

MANILA – As Bonifacio Ilagan prepared to attend the University of the Philippines (UP) as freshman in 1969, his
neighbors warned him. Coming from a province, he said: “When people in our place leaned that I am headed to UP, they
told me to be careful,” Ilagan told Bulatlat.com. UP was known then as a hotbed of student activism. But instead of
getting frightened, Ilagan became curious.

“The activists then were only a small group of students gathering at Vinzon’s Hall. I thought the warning was overrated.”
At the Vinzon’s hall, students would gather and discuss current issues such as tuition fee increases, oil price hikes, and
the government’s suppression of rights.

“And these students really knew what they were talking about. Many students, even those who were not organized,
attended forums and rallies. They were very receptive to progressive thoughts. Student organizers then were getting high
grades while doing political work at the same time,” Ilagan said.

Educating the youth did not just happen in universities. I communities, the out-of-school youth were also organized.

Jose Tausan was only 15 years old, a third year high school student, when he met student activists from the University of
the East sometime in 1970. “They went to our community at V. Mapa, Sta. Mesa to form a chapter of Kabataang
Makabayan. I became a member of that chapter,” Tausan said.

Tausan also organized students and youth in the community. “We held rallies outside the campus and teach-ins to
educate ourselves about the crisis.”

The students also immersed themselves in trade unions. “We integrated with workers and helped to organize workers
and form unions,” Ilagan said.

The student movement during the first quarter of 1970 was described by Ilagan as like “flowing water” – it was later
called the First Quarter Storm. “It was as if there was an explosion. Learning much about the country’s situation – about
oil price hikes, the economic decline, graft and corruption – also contributed to the outburst,” he said. Thousands joined
the protests, even as these were violently dispersed.

Ilagan said the progressive movement was fast developing at the time. In August of 1971, after the Plaza Miranda
Bombing, Marcos suspended the writ of habeas corpus in the hope of suppressing the mass movement. “Student and
activist leaders were also targeted by the government then and we learned that they had a list of (target) union and
youth leaders,” he said.
Martial law
On Sept. 21, 1972, Marcos placed the country under martial law. “White terror is widespread and used against activists
in the Philippines,” Ilagan said. “The police, military and paramilitary – all of them carried out terror. There was no more
pretension that human rights were being respected, it was out and out fascist rule.”

Many student activists were arrested and detained. Some went underground and went to the countryside. Ilagan also
went underground while Tausan went to the countryside to continue organizing work among peasants.

“From 1972 to 1974, we were like groping in the dark but we were not cowed (by the martial law). We tried to find our
bearing and the commitment to pursue the struggle,” Ilagan said.

Ilagan said they made sure that they were safe and maintained a line of communication among themselves. “We
abandoned our residences; some also abandoned their workplaces and others had a complete change of lifestyle,” he
recalled.

Then, they started resuming propaganda work by producing “guerrilla-type newspapers.”

“We mimeographed one ream, about 500 copies, of underground newspaper. It was passed on from one reader to
another. What we learned is that when one person received a copy of the newspaper, they would photocopy it until the
copy was almost blurred.” This, he said, was a small act of defiance that exerted a big impact on the people.

In 1974, Ilagan was arrested and detained for two years. Upon his release from prison, he wrote a play entitled
“Pagsambang Bayan,” which was later directed by Behn Cervantes. “It was a full-length play staged in UP. It was a liturgy
articulating martial law sentiments.”

The play ran in UP for two weeks. It was also staged in different schools and communities. By word of mouth, Ilagan’s
play became well-known among protesters. Cervantes and other members of the cast were soon arrested and Ilagan was
hunted by the authorities.

“But no amount of repression and suppression were able to stop the movement. People became creative to protest
against martial law,” he said.

Struggle persists
Forty years after the declaration of martial law, both Ilagan and Tausan, now in their 50s, are still joining protest actions.

“Nothing has changed. Activists of today are shouting the same slogans. The same problems plague our country and it’s
only getting worse,” Ed Tablan, another activist who was organized during the 1970s, said.

Tablan was a student in the Philippine College of Commerce (now Polytechnic University of the Philippines). He also took
part in various protest actions against the Marcos regime. In 1974, he was arrested, detained and tortured.

“I was arrested in 1974 in District 1 of Manila. I was detained at Camp Crame then transferred to Fort Bonifacio,” he said.
“I was tortured as they [state agents] tried to squeeze information out of me. I did not betray anyone. To surrender never
crossed my mind.”

For Tablan, the struggle for genuine freedom and democracy continues. “Justice is still not served,” he said.

He added that the Philippine government is still a puppet of the United States government. “President Benigno S. Aquino
III is nothing but a puppet of the US,” he told Bulatlat.com.

Link: https://www.bulatlat.com/2012/09/26/youth-activists-of-martial-law-years-share-tales-of-courage/
Policies on Agrarian Reform

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.
Link: http://www.dar.gov.ph/about-us/agrarian-reform-history/

EVOLUTION OF THE PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION

Evolution of the Philippine Constitution

The Philippines has had a total of six constitutions since the Proclamation of Independence on June 12, 1898. In 1899,
the Malolos Constitution, the first Philippine Constitution—the first republican constitution in Asia—was drafted and
adopted by the First Philippine Republic, which lasted from 1899 to 1901.

During the American Occupation, the Philippines was governed by the laws of the United States of America. Organic Acts
were passed by the United States Congress for the administration of the Government of the Philippine Islands. The first
was the Philippine Organic Act of 1902, which provided for a Philippine Assembly composed of Filipino citizens. The
second was the Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916, which included the first pledge of Philippine independence. These laws
served as constitutions of the Philippines from 1902 to 1935.

In 1934, the United States Congress passed the Philippine Independence Act, which set the parameters for the creation
of a constitution for the Philippines. The Act mandated the Philippine Legislature to call for an election of delegates to a
Constitutional Convention to draft a Constitution for the Philippines. The 1934 Constitutional Convention finished its
work on February 8, 1935. The Constitution was submitted to the President of the United States for certification on
March 25, 1935. It was in accordance with the Philippine Independence Act of 1934. The 1935 Constitution was ratified
by the Filipino people through a national plebiscite, on May 14, 1935 and came into full force and effect on November
15, 1935 with the inauguration of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. Among its provisions was that it would remain
the constitution of the Republic of the Philippines once independence was granted on July 4, 1946.

In 1940, the 1935 Constitution was amended by the National Assembly of the Philippines. The legislature was changed
from a unicameral assembly to a bicameral congress. The amendment also changed the term limit of the President of the
Philippines from six years with no reelection to four years with a possibility of being reelected for a second term.
During World War II the Japanese-sponsored government nullified the 1935 Constitution and appointed Preparatory
Committee on Philippine Independence to replace it. The 1943 Constitution was used by the Second Republic with Jose
P. Laurel as President.

Upon the liberation of the Philippines in 1945, the 1935 Constitution came back into effect. The Constitution remained
unaltered until 1947 when the Philippine Congress called for its amendment through Commonwealth Act No. 733. On
March 11, 1947 the Parity amendment gave United States citizens equal rights with Filipino citizens to develop natural
resources in the country and operate public utilities. The Constitution, thereafter, remained the same until the
declaration of martial law on September 23, 1972.

Before President Marcos declared Martial Law, a Constitutional Convention was already in the process of deliberating on
amending or revising the 1935 Constitution. They finished their work and submitted it to President Marcos on December
1, 1972. President Marcos submitted it for ratification in early January of 1973. Foreseeing that a direct ratification of the
constitution was bound to fail, Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 86, s. 1972, creating citizens assemblies to ratify
the newly drafted constitution by means of a Viva Voce vote in place of secret ballots. Marcos announced that it had
been ratified and in full force and effect on January 17, 1973. Although the 1973 Constitution had been “ratified” in this
manner, opposition against it continued. Chief Justice Roberto V. Concepcion in his dissenting opinion in the case
of Javellana v. Executive Secretary, exposed the fraud that happened during the citizen’s assembly ratification of the 1973
Constitution on January, 10 – 15, 1973. However, the final decision of this case was that the ratification of the 1973
Constitution was valid and was in force.
When democracy was restored in 1986, President Corazon C. Aquino issued Proclamation No. 3, suspending certain
provisions of the 1973 Constitution and promulgating in its stead a transitory constitution. A month later, President
Aquino issued Proclamation No. 9, s. 1986, which created a Constitutional Commission tasked with writing a new charter
to replace the 1973 Constitution. The commission finished its work at 12:28 a.m. of October 16, 1986. National Plebiscite
was held on February 2, 1987, ratifying the new constitution. On February 11, 1987, by virtue of Proclamation No. 58,
President Aquino announced the official canvassing of results and the ratification of the draft constitution. The 1987
Constitution finally came into full force and effect that same day with the President, other civilian officials, and members
of the Armed Forces swearing allegiance to the new charter.

Link: https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/constitution-day/