UNIT 4-A

Lesson 3: History of Agrarian Reform in the Philippines

ACTIVITY
Read some notes on agrarian reform in the Philippines and prepare a comparative
matrix showing the revolution of agrarian policies over the years, the content of the
policies, and the implication of the law on agrarian issues.

Implication of the
Evolution of Content of the
Epoch law on Agrarian
Agrarian Policies Policies
Issues
Philippine Bill of It established the The friars' stock
1902 or the maximum allowed was purchased by
Philippine Organic hectarage for the administration
Act private individuals for $7.2 million. It is
and businesses, 166,000 hectares
which is 16 for in size. In addition,
private individuals the Filipinos, who
and 1024 for now own a portion
businesses. of the land, resold
the land. Despite
this, most of the
land was
purchased by
estate owners.
Land Registration The Torrens system Foreign-owned
American Period
Act of 1902 (Act was "provided for a plantations that
no. 496) thorough were prevalent in
registration of land British Malaya, the
titles," according to Dutch East Indies,
DAR. and French
Indochina were
discouraged by a
decline in the
investment climate.
Tenancy Act of It controls how the Families of tenant
1903 (Act no. 4054 rice and sugarcane farmers. Tenant
and 4113) landowners, and farmers raise
renters interact. It objections to the
was split equally. sharecropping
arrangement.
 Additionally, the
economy is under
pressure because
of population
growth.
1935 Constitution "The state should The farmers, who
be concerned with were the backbone
the promotion of of the state, are
social justice to given social justice.
promote the welfare
and economic
security of all
people."
Commonwealth Act The (An The main problem
No. 178 Amendment to Rice with this rule is that
Tenancy Act No. it could only be
4045), which was applied when a
passed on majority of
November 13, 1936, municipal councils
establishes various in a province
regulations between requested it. No
landlords and province has ever
tenants. requested the law
be used because
landowners often
Commonwealth
run these councils.
period
Quezon
subsequently
issued an order
making the
legislation
obligatory in all of
the provinces of
Central Luzon. The
duration of
contracts was only
one year, though.
Landlords might
evict renters by
merely declining to
renew their lease.
Peasant
organizations
therefore
campaigned in vain
for a law that would
 automatically
renew the lease as
long as the tenants
upheld their end of
the bargain.
Commonwealth Act "Established the After World War 2,
No. 441 National Settlement it established more
Administration with than 65,000
a P20,000,000 hectares for the
capital stock". settlements.
Additionally, this
was applied to the
settlement of public
agricultural fields.
Republic Act No. "Established 70-30 It was passed to
Roxas 34 sharing agreements resolve the current
Administration and shared-tenancy peasant uprising in
contracts." Central Luzon.
Executive Order "Replaced the Takes over the
No. 355 federal Land responsibilities of
Settlement the Agricultural
Development Machinery
Quirino
Corporation Equipment
Administration
(LASEDECO)" Corporation and
the rice and corn
production
administration.
Republic Act No. "Established the Dissidents and
1160 National landless farmers
Resettlement and are resettled by it.
Rehabilitation It was targeted
Administration primarily at rebels
(NARRA) and who had returned
abolished the and were given
LASEDECO" land for farms and
housing in
Magsaysay
Mindanao and
Administration
Palawan.
Republic Act No. Share-tenancy and Tenant security of
1199 leasehold regimes tenure is provided
are set up to under this statute.
regulate the
interaction between
landowners and
tenant farmers.
Agrarian Relations
 Court was also
established as a
result.
Republic Act No. Created the Land Becomes
1400 Tenure responsible for
Administration (LTA) acquiring and
allocating large,
tenanted rice and
corn lands that are
larger than 200
hectares for private
individuals and 600
hectares for
commercial
companies.
Republic Act No. Agrarian Credit It was intended for
821 Cooperative this organization to
Financing carry out potential
Administration's rural credits.
establishment According to the
documentation, it
did award close to
$10 million. The
administration body
then focused on
collaborative
marketing.
Republic Act Agricultural Land This law "abolished
No.3844 or Reform Code: share tenancy,
Agricultural Land  To identify institutionalized
Reform Code economic leasehold, set
family-size retention limit at 75
farms and hectares, invested
owner- rights of
cultivators as preemption for
the tenant farmers,
Macapagal
foundation of provided for
Administration
Philippine administrative
agriculture machinery for
and, as a implementation,
result, institutionalized an
redirect agrarian case court
landlord system, integrated
capital from extension,
agriculture to marketing, and
supervised credit
 industrial system of services
development; for farmer-
 To achieve beneficiaries."
for small
farmers a
dignified
existence
free from
harmful
institutional
practices and
limitations;
 To create a
flexible social
and
economic
structure in
agriculture
that will lead
to improved
farm earnings
and
production;
 To treat
industrial and
agricultural
wage
employees
equally and
without
discrimination
when
applying all
labor laws;
 To implement
a more
efficient and
organized
land
distribution
and
resettlement
program;
and
 To make
small farmers
 more self-
sufficient,
autonomous,
and
responsible
citizens who
will be a real
pillar of
support for
our
democratic
society.
Republic Act No. The establishment It improved
6389 or Code of of the Agrarian farmers' status and
Marcos Agrarian Reform Reform Special broadened the
Administration and Republic Act Account Fund and scope of agrarian
No. 6390 the Department of reform.
Agrarian Reform
Proclamation No. The establishment An initial allocation
131 of a dedicated fund of Php50 billion to
called the Agrarian cover the expected
Reform Fund (ARF) cost of the program
from 1987 - 1992
Republic Act No. "An act which It was also
6657 launched a permitted for
comprehensive landowners to
agrarian reform redistribute
program to promote agricultural land to
social justice and tenant farmers
industrialization and while keeping a
provided the maximum of five
Corazon Aquino framework for its hectares of land.
Administration implementation, Instead of giving
among other their land to the
reasons, and which government for
became effective on redistribution,
June 15, 1988. The corporate
law remaining in landowners were
effect at the present permitted by the
is this one." statute to
"voluntarily divest a
component of their
capital stock,
equity or
participation in
favor of their
 workers or other
qualifying
beneficiaries."
Republic Act No. Agrarian Reform To amend the
8532 Fund Bill: Comprehensive
"Gave CARP an Agrarian Reform
Ramos additional 50 billion Law (CARL), which
Administration Philippine Pesos more sustainably
and a 10-year extended the
extension on its CARP program for
implementation." additional years.
Executive Order The Department of It increased the
No. 264 Agrarian Reform department's
was renamed to authority and made
Department of Land it responsible for all
Reform national land
reform. Additionally,
it gave it direction
and control over
the Philippine
Commission on
Urban Poor
Arroyo
(PCUP). According
Administration
to the National
Commission on
Indigenous
Peoples,
acknowledging
indigenous
peoples' ownership
of the ancestral
domain is now a
requirement of this
new era (NCIP).
Agrarian Reform It helps achieve the It emphasizes the
Community overarching importance of the
Connectivity and objective of nation's agrarian
Economic Support reducing rural sectors, providing a
Services poverty, particularly strong commitment
Benigno Aquino (ARCCESS) in places to institutional
Administration undergoing agrarian support for ARBs.
reform.
Agrarian It offers newly Through the
Production Credit formed and provision of
Program (APCP) established agrarian financing and
reform beneficiaries' support for
organizations capacity-building, it
(ARBOs) and achieves
farmers' groups sustainable crop
credit help for crop production and
production if they raises the incomes
are not eligible to of agrarian reform
apply for loans beneficiaries
through standard (ARBs) and their
credit windows or household.
banks.