RACHELLE ANNE GINGCO

1ST YEAR BSA

Agrarian reform in the Philippines

Agrarian reform is popularly defined as “the distribution of public and private

agricultural lands, regardless of produce and tenurial arrangement, to landless farmers
and regular farmworkers, to include support services” (AFA & AsiaDHRRA, 2005).
The agrarian system in the Philippines has long been a combative issue and one
that is often preceded by some form of instability and violence. For a long period, the
agrarian system of the Philippines was being controlled by the large landlord. The
small farmers in the Philippines were struggling for their rights to land and other
natural resources. The Agrarian reform in the Philippines seeks to solve the centuries-
old problem of landlessness in rural areas.
During the Spanish Government, they are abuse and unfair to the farmers because
the farmers are not allowed to own land. They are only allowed to work for Spaniards
wherein it is unfair for them because of its look like they are a slave in their
homeland. Filipino have debts in Spanish authorities they can only pay their debts
through agricultural products where they sell them at a very low price or surrender
their products to the Spanish where Spanish resell it at a high price. The Spanish
government developed a new form of ownership which is the hacienda system this
system is ordering landholders to register their landholding but due to registering land
is too expensive where Filipino can't afford it the Spanish is the one who can register
their land that's why Spanish take advantage to have the opportunity to register the
land in their names. That is the same thing in the American period land ownership did
not improve but it gets worsened because even there is no limit on the size of
landholding it can only apply to those who can afford to register their land and
acquire to fixed their titles. In terms of payment for their debts, the farmers are forced
to surrender their land. But In 1986, Corazon Aquino’s presidential campaign put
forth a land reform first priority—“Land to-the-Tiller”—slogan. The land reform
commission was formed and, in July 1987, Aquino proclaimed the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), and Congress passed the CARP in 1988. The
major purpose of the land reform program was to transfer land to actual cultivators
(Estudillo et al., 2000). The CARP was enacted to redistribute public and private
agricultural lands to farmers and landless farmworkers. The CARP’s vision was to
have equitable land ownership. It prohibited any form of transfer of land for 10 years
and mandated landlords to retain 7 hectares of land. Additionally, under the CARP,
any form of transfer of land awarded under the CARP was prohibited; lands
exceeding 7 ha were bought by the government and sold to landless farmers.
Gordoncillo (2012) reported that the CARP was a major intervention to affect rural
development in the Philippines. This period aims to allow the farmers to have
ownership unlike the period of Spanish and American where they use their power for
their will. At this time tenancy in the Philippines is equal or 50-50 where 50% for the
farmers and 50% for the owner of the land. They pay their debts either paying cash or
paying agricultural it's up to them how they settle their debts unlike before they are
only allowed to pay their debts by crops. The kind of government before is different
especially when they implementing law the Spanish and American period are
implementing law where they are the one who will benefit while the government or
our leader now are not only thinking for the benefit he/she will get but the benefit of
his/her citizen. The hard work of the farmers today is worth it because they get what
should for them because the government is giving the rights of farmers .
Agrarian reform in the Philippines has a great part in our economy because if we
use our land right the agricultural productivity has the potential to increase farming
income and alleviate poverty in rural areas. Rice is the single most important
agricultural crop in the Philippines and is, therefore, a major source of income for
millions of Filipino farmers.