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 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.

1935: The Commonwealth Constitution

After the Treaty of Paris, the Philippines was subject to the power of the United States
of America, the new colonizers of the country. Treaty of Paris ended the period of Spanish
Colonization in the Philippines. The United States pays $20 million USD in recompense to the
Spanish government. From 1898 to 1901, the Philippines will be placed under a military
government, until a civil government will be put into place.

Two acts of the United State Congress were passed that may be considered to have
qualities of constitutionality. First, The Philippine Organic Act of 1902, the first organic law of
the Philippines that provided for the creation of an elected Philippine Assembly, and specified
that legislative power would be vested in a bicameral legislature composed of the Philippine
Commission as a upper house and the Philippine Assembly as lower house. Second, The
Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916, commonly referred to as “Jonas Law”, this Act that explicitly
declared the purpose of the United States to end their sovereignty over the Philippines and
recognize Philippine Independence as soon as a stable government can be established.

In 1932, the United States Congress passed the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act, the first US law
passed setting a process and a date for the Philippines to gain independence from the United
States. Filipino Independence mission led by Sergio Osmeña and Manuel Roxas. The bill was
opposed by then Senate President Manuel L. Roxas and as a result, rejected by the Philippine
Senate.

By 1934, The Tydings-McDuffie Act also known as the Philippine Independence Act,
which provided for full independence for the Philippines, was passed by the United States
Congress that provided authority and defined mechanisms for the establishment of a formal
constitution by a constitutional convention. The members of the convention were elected and
held their first meeting on July 30, 1934, with Claro M. Recto unanimously elected as president.
The constitution was crafted to meet the approval of the United States government, and to
ensure that they grant independence to the Philippines.

Preamble of the 1935 Commonwealth

 The Filipino people, imploring the aid of Divine Providence, in order to establish a
government that shall embody their ideals, conserve and develop the patrimony of the nation,
promote the general welfare, and secure to themselves and their posterity the blessings of
independence under a regime of justice, liberty, and democracy, do ordain and promulgate this
constitution.

The dominant influence in the constitution was American, it also bears traces of the
Malolos Constitution, the German, Spanish, and Mexican constitutions of several South
American countries, and the unwritten English Constitution.

The constitution created the Commonwealth of the Philippines, an administrative body

that governed the Philippines from 1935 to 1946. Originally provided for a unicameral National
Assembly with the president and vice president elected to a six-year term without re-election.
In 1940, the year amended to have a bicameral congress composed of a Senate and a House of
Representative, as well as the creation of an independent electoral commission, and limited the
term of the office of the president and vice president to four years with one re-election. The
male citizens of the Philippines have a right to suffrage or right to vote who are 21 years old or
over and are able to read and write, this later on extended to women within 2 years after the
adoption of the constitution. In February 8, 1935, the draft of the constitution was approved by
the constitutional convention and ratified in March 25, 1935 by the US President Franklin D.
Roosevelt. The Election were held in September 1935 and Manuel L. Quezon was elected
President of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth was briefly interrupted by the events of
the World War II, with the Japanese occupying the Philippines afterwards, upon liberation, the
Philippines was declared an independent republic on July 4, 1946.
 1973: Constitutional Authoritarianism

In 1965, Ferdinand E. Marcos was elected as President. Philippine Congress passed a

resolution calling for a constitutional convention to change the 1935 Constitution in the year
1967. In the year 1969, Marcos won the re-election, in a bid boosted by campaign overspending
and use of government funds. Election of the delegates to the constitutional convention were
held on November 20, 1970, and in June 1, 1971, the convention began formally with former
President Carlos P. Garcia being elected as convention president and succeeded by another
former president, Diosdado Macapagal.

Before the convention finished its work, the Martial Law was declared. Marcos cited
growing communist insurgency as reason for the martial law, which was provided for in the
1935 Constitution. With Marcos as dictator, the direction of convention turned, the president
himself dictated some provision of the constitution. On November 29, 1972, the convention
approved its proposed constitution.

The constitution was supposed to introduce a parliamentary-style government, where

legislative power was vested in a unicameral National Assembly, which members being elected
to six-year term. The President was to be elected by the members of National Assembly as the
symbolic and ceremonial state chosen by the members of the National Assembly. The president
would serve a six-year term and to be re-elected to an unlimited number of terms.

Presidential Decree No.73 issued by President Marcos, sets the date of plebiscite to
ratify or reject the proposed constitution on November 30, 1973. The Plebiscite was postponed
later since Marcos feared that the public might vote to reject the constitution. Instead of a
plebiscite, Citizens Assemblies were held from January 10-15, 1973, where the citizens coming
together and voting by hand, decided on whether to ratify the constitution, suspend the
convening of the Interim National Assembly, continue Martial Law, or place a moratorium on
elections for a period of at least several years. The President, on January 17, 1973, issued a
proclamation announcing that the proposed constitution had been ratified by an overwhelming
vote of the members of the highly irregular Citizens Assemblies.

In 1976, Citizens Assemblies once again decided to allow the continuation of Martial
Law, as well as approved the amendments: An Interim Batasang Pambansa to substitute for the
Interim National Assembly. In 1980, the retirement age of members of the judiciary was
extended to 70 years. In 1981, the Parliamentary system was formally modified to a French-
style, semi-presidential system where executive power was restored to the president. In 1984,
the Executive Committee was abolish and the position of the vice president was restored.
 After all the amendments introduced, the 1973 Constitution was merely a way of the
president to keep executive powers, abolish the senate, and by any means, never acted as a
parliamentary system, instead functioned as an authoritarian presidential system, with all the
power concentrated in the hands of the president, with all the backing of the constitution.

In August 1983, Benigno Aquino Jr., opposition leader and regarded as the most credible
alternative to President Marcos, was assassinated while under military escort immediately after
his return from the exile in the United States. There was widespread suspicion that the orders
to assassinate Aquino came from the top levels of the government and the military. This event
caused the coming together of the non-violent opposition against the Marcos authoritarian
regime. A small group of military rebels attempted to stage a coup, but failed. This triggered
what came to be known as the EDSA People Power Revolution of 1986. Benigno Aquino Jr.’s
widow, Corazon Aquino, was installed a president on February 25, 1986.
 November, 2023

Introduction: The 1987 Constitution

The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines emerged in the wake of a tumultuous period
marked by the declaration of martial law by President Ferdinand Marcos in 1972. His
authoritarian rule led to widespread human rights abuses, corruption, and economic turmoil.
Amid mounting opposition and international pressure, particularly after the assassination of
opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr. in 1983, a strong push for democratic reforms gained
momentum. This culminated in the People Power Revolution of 1986, a mass movement that
ousted Marcos and installed Corazon Aquino as president. The new administration aimed to
establish a constitution that would safeguard democracy, protect human rights, and prevent the
abuses witnessed under Marcos. The resulting 1987 Constitution reflected a commitment to
democracy, instituting checks and balances, promoting social justice, and instituting mechanisms
to prevent the rise of another authoritarian regime.

The Drafting Processes of 1987 Constitution

In March 1986, President Aquino proclaimed a transitional constitution to last for a year
while a Constitutional Commission drafted a permanent constitution. This transitional
constitution, called the Freedom Constitution, maintained many provisions of the old one,
including in rewritten form the presidential right to rule by decree. The drafting of the 1987
Constitution of the Philippines was accomplished by a constitutional commission known as the
“1986 Constitutional Commission” or “Con-Com.” This commission was composed of 48
members appointed by then-President Corazon Aquino. The members were tasked with crafting a
new constitution to replace the 1973 Constitution, which was associated with the Marcos
dictatorship.

Furthermore, the three branches of government have been a fundamental part of the
Philippine political system for many years, dating back to the country’s first constitution in the
1935 Commonwealth era. These branches were not created anew in 1987 but were instead
inherited from previous constitutions, particularly from the country’s history of governance
following democratic principles.

The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines established three (3) independent constitutional
commissions to ensure checks and balances, transparency, and efficiency in overseeing specific
aspects of government functions. These commissions are:

Commission on Elections (COMELEC)

Responsible for administering all aspects of elections in the Philippines, including voter
registration, conducting elections for national and local positions, ensuring fair campaign
practices, and resolving election-related disputes.

Civil Service Commission (CSC)

Tasked with overseeing the merit-based recruitment, promotion, and retention of civil
servants in the government. The CSC establishes rules and regulations governing the civil
service and ensures that public officials and employees perform their duties effectively
and efficiently.

Commission on Audit (COA)

Mandated to ensure fiscal accountability in the government by auditing government
agencies, offices, and instrumentalities. The COA examines the use of public funds to
ensure legality, regularity, and efficiency in their utilization, promoting transparency and
accountability in financial matters.

In Addition, the commission gathered inputs from various sectors of society, legal
experts, and political figures to ensure a comprehensive representation of nation’s interest. The
draft underwent through public scrutiny through consultations, forums, and debates across the
provinces in country.

After countless of revisions and deliberations, the final draft was completed and ratified by
national plebiscite on February 2, 1987.

*A national plebiscite is a direct vote by the qualified electorate of an entire country or a

specific region on an important public issue or proposed law.

Here are the primary objectives and goals of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines include:
I. Democracy and Rule of Law
To establish and preserve democratic principles, ensuring the supremacy of the
constitution, and promoting a government accountable to the people.
II. Protection of Human Rights
To secure individual freedoms, promoting social justice, and ensuring the
protection and promotion of human rights for all citizens.
III. Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances
To institute a system of government with separate branches (executive, legislative,
and judicial) to prevent abuse of power and maintain a system of checks and balances.
IV. Sovereignty and National Territory
To assert national sovereignty, protecting the territorial integrity of the country,
and promoting an independent foreign policy.
V. Economic Development and Social Justice
To foster inclusive economic growth, equitable distribution of wealth, and
promoting social justice by addressing poverty, inequality, and the welfare of all citizens.
VI. Preservation of Culture and Environment
To protect and promote the diverse cultural heritage of the Philippines and
ensuring environmental sustainability for future generations.
ATTEMPTS TO AMEND THE 1987 CONSTITUTION

The 1987 Constitution provided for three methods by which the Constitution can be amended, all
requiring ratification by a majority vote in a national referendum. These methods outlined in
Article 18 provide different avenues for proposing changes to the Philippine Constitution, each
with its own procedural requirements and mechanisms for ratification to ensure the involvement
and consent of the Filipino people in constitutional amendments. These methods were:

Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass)

This method involves both houses of Congress, the Senate, and the House of Representatives
convening as a Constituent Assembly to propose amendments to the Constitution. A three-fourths
vote of all its Members is required to propose amendments.

Constitutional Convention (Con-Con)

This method entails the calling of a Constitutional Convention, wherein delegates elected by
the people draft proposed amendments or revisions to the Constitution. The amendments
proposed by the convention must be ratified by a majority of votes in a plebiscite.

People’s Initiative (PI)

This mode allows for a proposal of amendments by the people themselves. However, this
method has specific requirements and processes that must be followed, including the collection
of a certain number of signatures from registered voters and other procedural steps. If the
requirements are met, the proposed amendments will be subjected to a plebiscite for ratification.

*The terms "cha-cha” and “con-ass” are colloquial terms used in Philippine politics to refer
to the process of amending the Constitution or the method of Constituent Assembly, respectively.
“Cha-cha” stands for “Charter Change,” indicating the intention to modify or revise the
Constitution, while “con-ass” refers to the Constituent Assembly method for proposing
amendments.
First Attempt

- The first attempt was in 1995, when Secretary of National Security Council Jose Almonte
drafted a constitution, but it was exposed to the media and it never prospered.

Second Attempt

- Happened in 1997, when a group called PIRMA hoped to gather signatures from voters to
change the Constitution through people’s initiative. Many are against this, including
Senator Meriam Defensor Santiago, who brought the issue to court and won with
Supreme Court judging that people’s initiative cannot push through without an enabling
law.