Let’s Initiate!

1. What is the importance of the text?

- The agrarian reform is part of the long history of attempts of
land reform in the Philippines. The law was outlined by former
President Corazon C. Aquino through Presidential Proclamation
131 and Executive Order 229 on June 22, 1987, and it was
enacted by the 8th Congress of the Philippines and signed by
Aquino on June 10, 1988.
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
The Philippine agrarian reform history teaches us valuable lessons
and insights about the past agrarian reform programs and the
peasant initiatives that contributes to the evolution of the Philippine
agrarian reform program from the pre-colonial times to the present
administration.
2. The context of the document.
Pre-Colonial Times (Before 16th Century)
What was the type of land ownership during the pre-Spanish time and
how was it cultivated? Land was commonly owned by the community
known as barangay a small unit of government consisting of 30-100
families administered by the chiefs. 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. How do they
practice mutual sharing of resources? Everyone in the barangay
regardless of status had access on the land and mutually share
resources and the fruits of their labor. They believed in and practiced
the concept of “stewardship” where relationship between man and
nature is important. What was the economic system during this
period? Food production was intended for family consumption only.
Later, neighboring communities where engaged in a barter trade,
exchanging their goods with others. Some even traded their
agricultural products with luxury items of some foreign traders like
Chinese, Arabs and Europeans. Was leasing and selling of lands
exercised during this period? The 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.
Although the Code of Luwaran was one of the oldest written laws of
the Muslim society which contains provision on the lease of cultivated
lands, there was no record how this lease arrangement was practiced.
Agrarian Reform History SPANISH ERA (1521-1896)
What was the system of land cultivation at this period? 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 implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform
Program relies heavily on the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). As
the lead implementing agency, the DAR has the responsibility in carrying
out the principal aspects of the program, which are Land Tenure
Improvement (LTI), Program Beneficiary Development (PBD), and the
Agrarian Justice Delivery (AJD).
The Land Tenure Improvement is highly recognized as the most integral
aspect of the program. This component seeks to secure the tenurial status
of the farmers and farmworkers. The DAR implements this component
through Land Acquisition and Distribution (LAD) or Non-land Transfer
Schemes.
-
3. The texts contribution in understanding the Philippine History.
- The agrarian reform is part of the long history of attempts of land
reform in the Philippines. The law was outlined by former
President Corazon C. Aquino through Presidential Proclamation
131 and Executive Order 229 on June 22, 1987,  and it was
enacted by the 8th Congress of the Philippines and signed by
Aquino on June 10, 1988. In 1998, which was the year that it was
scheduled to be completed, the Congress enacted Republic Act
No. 8532 to allocate additional funds for the program and
extending the automatic appropriation of ill-gotten wealth
 recovered by the Presidential Commission on Good
Governance (PCGG) for CARP until the year 2008. An
amendatory law, CARPER or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform
Program Extension with Reforms or the Republic Act. 9700 was
passed. It extended the deadline of distributing agricultural lands
to the farmers for an additional five years. This law also amends
other provisions and regulations formerly stated in the CARP. It
was signed into law on August 7, 2009 and was set to be
accomplished by the year 2014.

Let’s Inquire!
1. In your own perspective and concept of this lesson. How was the
agrarian reform affects Filipinos lives?
- 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. The Philippine
agrarian reform history teaches us valuable lessons and insights
about the past agrarian reform programs and the peasant
initiatives that contributes to the evolution of the Philippine
agrarian reform program from the pre-colonial times to the present
administration.
2. Out of the several agrarian reforms presented. Which one do
you think has the most advantage/s to the Filipino society?
- Pre-Colonial Times (Before 16th Century)
What was the type of land ownership during the pre-Spanish time
and how was it cultivated? Land was commonly owned by the
community known as barangay a small unit of government
consisting of 30-100 families administered by the chiefs. 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. How do they practice mutual sharing of
resources? Everyone in the barangay regardless of status had
 access on the land and mutually share resources and the fruits of
their labor. They believed in and practiced the concept of
“stewardship” where relationship between man and nature is
important. What was the economic system during this period?
Food production was intended for family consumption only. Later,
neighboring communities where engaged in a barter trade,
exchanging their goods with others. Some even traded their
agricultural products with luxury items of some foreign traders like
Chinese, Arabs and Europeans. Was leasing and selling of lands
exercised during this period? The 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. Although the Code of Luwaran was one of the oldest
written laws of the Muslim society which contains provision on the
lease of cultivated lands, there was no record how this lease
arrangement was practiced.

Let’s Infer!
1. What is the significance of agrarian reforms? From which president has a
great Agrarian Reform enacted and why?
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. The Philippine agrarian
reform history teaches us valuable lessons and insights about the past
agrarian reform programs and the peasant initiatives that contributes to the
evolution of the Philippine agrarian reform program from the pre-colonial
times to the present administration. President 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 to 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
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). Under his
administration the DAR created an anti- corruption task force to investigate
the handle reports of 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 the fast- track the
implementation of CARP.