REPUBLIC ACT NO.

6657

SECTION 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988.
Approved: June 10, 1988

SECTION 3. Definitions. - For the purpose of this Act, unless the context indicates otherwise:

a. Agrarian Reform means the redistribution of lands, regardless of crops or fruits produced, f. Farmer refers to a natural person whose primary livelihood is cultivation of land or the
to farmers and regular farm workers who are landless, irrespective of tenurial arrangement, production of agricultural crops either by himself, or primarily with the assistance of his
to include the totality of factors and support services designed to lift the economic status of immediate farm household, whether the land is owned by him, or by another person under
the beneficiaries and all other arrangements alternative to the physical redistribution of a leasehold or share tenancy agreement or arrangement with the owner thereof.
lands, such as production or profit-sharing, labor administration, and the distribution of
shares of stock which will allow beneficiaries to receive a just share of the fruits of the lands
they work. g. Farmworker is a natural person who renders service for value as an employee or laborer in
an agricultural enterprise or farm regardless of whether his compensation is paid on a daily,
weekly, monthly or "pakyaw" basis. The term includes an individual whose work has ceased
b. Agriculture, Agricultural Enterprise or Agricultural Activity means the cultivation of the soil, as a consequence of, or in connection with, a pending agrarian dispute who has not
planting of crops, growing of fruit trees, including the harvesting of such farm products, and obtained a substantially equivalent and regular farm employment.
other farm activities and practices performed by a farmer in conjunction with such farming
operations done by persons whether natural of juridical. (As amended by R. A. 7881)
h. Regular Farmworker is a natural person who is employed on a permanent basis by an
agricultural enterprise or farm.
c. Agricultural Land refers to land devoted to agricultural activity as defined in this Act and not
classified as mineral, forest, residential, commercial or industrial land.
i. Seasonal Farmworker is a natural person who is employed on a recurrent, periodic or
intermittent basis by an agricultural enterprise or farm, whether as a permanent or a non-
d. Agrarian Dispute refers to any controversy relating to tenurial arrangements, whether permanent laborer, such as"dumaan", "sacada", and the like.
leasehold, tenancy, stewardship or otherwise, over lands devoted to agriculture, including
disputes concerning farm workers' associations or representation of persons in negotiating,
fixing, maintaining, changing or seeking to arrange terms or conditions of such tenurial j. Other Farmworker is a farmworker who does not fall under paragraphs (g), (h) and (i).
arrangements.
It includes any controversy relating to compensation of lands acquired under this Act k. Cooperatives shall refer to organizations composed primarily of small agricultural producers,
and other terms and conditions of transfer of ownership from landowners to farm workers, farmers, farm workers, or other agrarian reform beneficiaries who voluntarily organize
tenants and other agrarian reform beneficiaries, whether the disputants stand in the themselves for the purpose of pooling land, human, technological, financial or other
proximate relation of farm operator and beneficiary, landowner and tenant, or lessor and economic resources, and operated on the principle of one member, one vote. A juridical
lessee. person may be a member of a cooperative, with the same rights and duties as a natural
person.
e. Idle or Abandoned Land refers to any agricultural land not cultivated, tilled or developed to
produce any crop nor devoted to any specific economic purpose continuously for a period of
three (3) years immediately prior to the receipt of notice of acquisition by the government
as provided under this Act, but does not include land that has become permanently or
regularly devoted to non-agricultural purposes. It does not include land which has become
unproductive by reason of force majeure or any other fortuitous event: Provided, that prior
to such event, such land was previously used for agricultural or other economic purposes.

Compiled by: jaepunongbayan