• Comprehensive Agrarian Reform seeks to

provide farmers and farm workers the opportunity

to enhance their dignity and improve the quality
of their lives through greater productivity.
• Republic Act No. 6657, known as the
“Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of
1988” was signed into law by President Corazon
Aquino on June 10, 1988. This Republic Act
provides for the creation of the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
• It provides for a system of acquisition of lands
and compensation therefor, identifies the
qualified beneficiaries, sets retention limits for
landowners and also defines the parameters for
the redistribution of lands to qualified
beneficiaries. Further , CARP is a program
covering the redistribution of land to landless
farmer beneficiaries.
• It was extended for five years under the
Republic Act No, 9700 otherwise known as
“An act strengthening the comprehensive
agrarian reform program (carp), extending the
acquisition and distribution of all agricultural
lands, instituting necessary reforms, amending
for the purpose certain provisions of republic
act no. 6657, otherwise, known as the
comprehensive agrarian reform law of 1988, as
amended, and appropriating funds therefor”
Struggles in implementing Agrarian
Reform Program in the Philippines
• Land related struggles have been a recurring
feature of Philippine history, thus
demonstrating the importance accorded by
farmers to their lands. The struggle to
implement genuine agrarian reform in the
country continues. In fact non government and
people’s organizations (NGOs) have been
involved in this effort. The intensity of agrarian
conflict in the country is rooted in a highly
skewed ownership pattern.
• Poverty in the Philippines is largely rural.
Farmers and fishermen are estimated to have
the highest poverty incidence among the
country’s basic sectors.
• As an issue and problem, landowner resistance
usually takes the form of physical harassment
of CARP beneficiaries , as the case study
revealed.. Dialogues were done. Filing
innumerable court cases were filed.
Basically, the following were the CARP
issues / problems:
1. Harassment- Landlords have just effectively
exploited their media contacts and their influence with
local authorities to discredit farmer beneficiaries
2. Lack of Funds ( Insufficient budget support) –
3. Land conversion and other ways to circumvent
CARP-
4. Beneficiary-related issues- Large sugar growing
haciendas in Negros refused to award lands to
beneficiaries
5. Lack of political will
6. Backlog of land cases