CANO, SALDY G.

READINGS IN
PHILIPPINE HISTORY
BSABE 1-B MAY 5, 2021

LEARNING ACTIVITY (AGRARIAN REFORM POLICIES)

1. From your readings about the agrarian reform in the Philippines, what do you think is the
most significant agrarian law? Explain why it is significant to you.
In my personal point of view, agrarian reform policies in the Philippines are still under the
process of cultivation up until now for the existing agrarian reforms are somewhat lacking in
terms of capitalizing the utilization of agricultural sector and protecting the rights of laborers
which are the farmers.
But I think among all the policies, the ratified REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6389 also known as
Code of Agrarian Reform enacted by the former President Ferdinand Marcos that was amended
the previous Republic Act No. 3844 on 1961 is the most efficient and most significant law on
agrarian reform. The bastion of this law instigated the creation of Department of Agrarian
Reform and the Agrarian Reform Special Account Fund that strengthen the position of the
farmers and widened the scope of agrarian reform. The declaration of policies contained in
Section 2 of this law has the purpose to (1) establish cooperative-cultivatorship among those who
live and work on the land as tillers, owner-cultivatorship and the economic family-size farm as
the basis of Philippine agriculture and, as a consequence, divert landlord capital in agriculture to
industrial development; (2) achieve a dignified existence for the small farmers free from
pernicious institutional restraints and practices; (3) create a truly viable social and economic
structure in agriculture conducive to greater productivity and higher farm income through a
cooperative system of production, processing, marketing, distribution, credit and services; (4)
apply all labor laws equally and without discrimination to both industrial and agricultural wage e
earners; (5) provide a more vigorous and systematic land resettlement program and public land
distribution; (6) make the small farmers more independent, self-reliant and responsible citizens,
and a source of genuine strength in our democratic society; (7) give first priority to measures for
the adequate and timely financing of the Agrarian Reform Program pursuant to House Joint
Resolution Numbered Two, otherwise known as the Magna Carta of Social Justice and
Economic Freedom; existing laws; executive and administrative orders; and rules and regulations
to the contrary notwithstanding; (8) involve local governments in the implementation of the
Agrarian Reform Program; and; (9) evolve a system of land use and classification.
Therefore, I considered it as the biggest breakthrough of the reform of agrarian that
emancipated and castigated all of the oppression of landowners to the tenant farmers and
harnessed the agriculture into more improved sector by providing and allocating a fund by the
government.
Cited: R.A. 6389. Retrieved from https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1971/ra_6389_1971.html
 2. Which agrarian laws do you think are beneficial to tenant farmers? Why? Explain.
One of the ubiquitous struggle arose ever since the schematic structure was recognized is the
oppression among the class of impoverished people which are the tenant farmers who were
capitulated and accepted the unfair agreements and conditions between their landlords just to
provide food for their family even if it is a bitter pill to swallow. These harassments among
capitalistic landowners include expensive taxes, larger percentage should be given to them and
many more that is the sole reason of why agrarian reform policies constituted to abolish all of the
oppressions on the feeders of society and give them the rights they deserved.
Among all the agrarian policies that was implemented, I think the law that greatly benefit the
tenant farmers is the amendment of Republic Act No. 6657, known as Comprehensive Agrarian
Reform Law (CARL) into Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) that was outlined
by former President Corazon Aquino through Presidential Proclamation 131 and Executive
Order 229 and was enacted on 22nd of June, 1987. This law is designed to redistribute private and
public agricultural lands to relieve the beneficiaries survive as small independent farmers along
all the agreements and improve agricultural productions, and stop the conflicts about land
ownership. The principal aspects of CARP are Land Tenure Improvement, Land Acquisition and
Distribution, Leasehold Operations, Program Beneficiaries Development, Agrarian Justice
Delivery, Agrarian Legal Assistance, and Adjudication of Cases.
Furthermore, the law was again amended and became Republic Act No. 9700 or
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER) signed on 7 th of
August, 2009 that had the goal to further extend the due date of distributing of agricultural lands
to the farmers, tenants, as well as regular, seasonal and other farmworkers for an additional five
years and amends the other provisions and regulations in the previous CARP law. This law
contains the significant provisions that include Gender-Sensitive Agrarian Reform found in
Section 1, 150 billion Pesos Allocation Budget in the 5-year extension in the redistribution of
agricultural lands found in Section 21, Creation of a Congressional Oversight Committee found
in Section 26, CARPER as a Continuing Program found in Section 30, and Policies in
Converting Agricultural Lands found in Section 73.
Therefore, this is the best law created for the tenant farmers and even for the landless people
because it gives them the chance to own 3 hectares of agricultural land to sustain their needs.
3. What were the problems with the early agrarian policies?
Although there were policies implemented regarding agrarian reforms during the early
stages, it was never a surety and guarantee that the oppression will be disbanded. It was much
worse when the structural scheme is instituted in which rich people like landowner becomes
richer and poor people like farmworker becomes poorer.
The laws ratified on agrarian reform that would promote equality and fairness to
everyone were not focused on the farmers themselves but rather, it decentralizes every rights of
tenant farmers to have a fair amount or even receive a higher gain in the land they were farming.
It is also a one-sided policy that the rich will be the only one benefit and does not favor on the
farm workers that is why the clamors and expectations of a more effective land reform program
that will correct the numerous flaws that plagued past land reform programs to subjugate
feudalistic approaches become more intensified. This is the reason why the Hukbong Bayan
Laban sa Hapon (HUKBALAHAP) was started their clandestine operation during Japanese
regimen in the Philippines whereas peasant Filipino farmers turn into guerrillas to fight Japanese
soldiers to seek for political and economic reform.