Jean Bhea H.

Valencia Readings in Philippine History

BSA 1 Tuesday and Friday 2:30-4:00pm

Part A: Answer the following questions:

1. Briefly describe the Land Reform and Agrarian Reform, state the difference.

Land reform is the process of changing laws, regulations, and customs

concerning land ownership. This refers to actions aiming to enhance the relationship
between the farm's owner and tenant. Land reform identifies the rights of the person
who owns or uses a specific piece of agricultural land. When we talk about land reform,
we're talking about a program that promotes equality and the distribution of equal
rights to land. It has a solution to improve land ownership in a specific country or
location. This program is about improvements of farmers relationship to the land which
a transformation from tenants to land ownership. The restructuring of pre and post-
production services is covered by the agrarian reform. It is not only rice and corn or
sugar cane plantation like in land reform program but in agrarian reform it covers all
problems in land ownership such as the problem in distribution and all the Filipinos who
don’t have their own land is entitled in this program. It concerned with the total
development of the farmers. It includes economic institution and political
transformation.

2. Why is taxes important?

It is a money that people pay in the government to use it for the public
services or social projects like in health services (hospital buildings, free medicine etc.).
Citizens must pay taxes in exchange for the government's promise to improve people's
lives through good governance. The government will use nothing if taxes are not
collected, and there will be no growth or development in our country. In a developing
country it needs more funds that’s why taxation is important. Taxation is important
because they constitute the life blood of our economy.

3. Land ownership in the Phil. during Spanish colonial period was a great source of
hatred and resentment among Filipinos Why?

Because The Encomenderos began to abuse their power by renting their

land to a few powerful landlords, and the natives or farmers who had previously freely
cultivated the land became share tenants. The landlord were supposed to protect in
general the welfare of the people in their land. However the landlord exploited them
instead. They also give free land titles issued to the poor farmers but the procedure of
land title application written in Spanish and the native couldn’t understand so they did
not apply. As a result only a few of them applied and they became very wealthy land
owners. While the others who couldn’t apply they were driven out. They introduced the
idea of encomienda to our country, they called it a private ownership of land. The
Filipino families are not allowed to own their land but the king of Spain only have the
rights to all the lands.

Part B

1. Pick a picture of an artifact found in the Phil. describe and make a story of the chosen
artifact.
 Let’s start with the year of 1967- 1998 according to Banko Sentral ng
Pilipinas. I'll talk about three coins: a centavo, a five centavo, and a peso. The first
version of the one centavo was in a round shape from 1967 to 1974, followed by a
square version with rounded corners. If you look at the coin it was Lapu-Lapu, if we
remember Lapu-Lapu was the ruler of Mactan. Because he was the first native to resist
Imperial Spanish colonization, he is regarded as the first Filipino hero in modern
Philippine society. He is best known for the Battle of Mactan, which he and his soldiers
won on April 27, 1521, defeating Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who was
killed in the battle. He is credited with being the first Filipino to defend our country
against Spanish colonizers. He was engraved on the most basic unit of Philippine
currency, the one centavo coin, to honor his bravery. In 1983-1991, it was known as
Flora and Fauna series where the money is divided into two types. On the obverse,
there were portraits of illustrious Filipino patriots and heroes, as well as rare fauna. On
the reverse, local flora and marine life were depicted. The Five centavos, Melchora
Aquino appears on one side of the coin, while a species of orchid known as Vanda
sanderiana or waling waling appears on the other. Lastly the one peso coin, in 1975-
1982, the "Ang Bagong Lipunan" series was introduced, which differed from the Pilipino
series in terms of design, specification, and denominational mix. Cupro-nickel coins took
the place of nickel-brass coins, and aluminum took the place of bronze. In the year, a
5-piso coin was issued. During the series, the 50-sentimo coin was introduced, but it
was later removed. On the same day, the entire coin series was demonetized on
January 2, 1998. In one peso coin the portrait they use is jose Rizal because he was a
national hero and one of the people who led up to our country's independence, Rizal's
head is the lowest denomination on the currency. We wanted his face to be visible to
everyone and as easily accessible as possible. In year 1983-1991, the same as the five
centavo, on the obverse we can see the portrait of Jose Rizal while on the reverse it
shows Tamaraw. In year 1991-1994 it was improved Flora and Fauna Series. After coin
sizes were reduced in 1991, the Flora Fauna Series was renamed Improved Flora and
Fauna.