CARAMOAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Caramoan, Camarines Sur

Instructor: Ms. Aleli Ann S. Secretario – BEED I

Subject:

(Reading in Philippine History)

MODULES 10
AGRARIAN REFORM IN THE PHILIPPINES

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of Unit 1, pre-service teachers should be able to:

1.Identify salient points in agrarian reform, constitution, and tax laws

2.Recognize the importance of farmers in the Philippine economy
3.Cite provisions in the Philippine Constitution relevant to their rights as persons
4.Defend farmers, human rights, and territorial integrity through legal parameters
 Pre-test

1. When was the land problem in the Philippines started?

a. Spanish occupation c. American occupation
b. Japanese occupation d. Parish occupation

2. He is a Katipunero who sought for a massive campaign via revolution to win

independence and fight against feudal landlords.
a. Francisco Baltazar
b. Apolinario Mabini
c. Jose Rizal
d. Andres Bonifacio

3. It is a redistribution of lands, regardless of crops or fruits produced, to farmers and

regular farmworkers who are landless, irrespective of tenurial arrangement to include the
totality of factors and support services designed to lift the economic status of the
beneficiaries.

a. Taxation
b. Agrarian Reform
c. DAR
d. Land Reforms

4. How many constitutions does the Philippines have since the Proclamation of
Independence on June 12, 1898
a. four b. five c. six d. seven

5. In 1934, the United States Congress passed this Law, which set the parameters for
the creation of a constitution for the Philippines.
a. Ameriacan Law
b. Jones Law
c. Philippine Organic Act
d. Tydings – McDuffie Law

6. The President who issued Proclamation No. 9, s. 1986, which created a

Constitutional Commission tasked with writing a new charter to replace the 1973 Constitution.
a. Fidel V. Ramos
b. Corazon Aquino
c. Erap Estrada
d. Gloria M. Arroyo
 7. He was the leading member of the Committee on Style, also known as the Seven
Wise Men, who had a significant impact on the final draft of the 1935 Constitution.
a. Manuel Roxas
b. Manuel Quezon
c. Andres Bonifacio
d. Jose Rizal

8. Issued the first proclamation that celebrated the effectiveness of a constitution in

1899 on January 23, 1899
a. Manuel Roxas
b. Andres Bonifacio
c. Emilio Aguinaldo
d. Emilio Jacinto

9. Before the Spaniards came to the Philippines, Filipinos lived in villages or

barangays ruled by
a. Datu
b. Kabesa De Barangay
c. Gobernadorcillo
d. Mayor

10. 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.
a. Rodrigo Duterte
b. Benigno Aquino
c. Gloria M. Arroyo
d. Erap Estrada
 Analysis – Let’s Analyze

Try to express your idea/opinion/thoughts or experience on the real

scenario/setting of the farmers AT PRESENT. You can draw/illustrate, make a poem,
song or any creative way you want. Sky is the limit.
 Abstraction – Let’s Conceptualize

Overview:
FROM LAND TO AGRARIAN REFORM: Land problem in the Philippines started
way back since the Spanish occupation when lands were converted into encomienda by
the Spanish monarchy. Following the western policy that Europeans can own the lands
that they can occupy as long as it is considered terra nullius, they disregarded the
socio-political control of the natives to their barangay and conquered the islands. By
virtue of King Philip II's royal assent, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi was declared the first
encomendero and gained the power to g r a n t encomendar. Natives lost their control
over land ownership and submitted to themselves to the encomenderos who
manages and supervises the utilization of granted lands. Since then, the natives
became slaves of the encomenderos and landownership became limited to the
loyalists of the Spanish monarch. Friars also owned vast lands that were converted into
churches, cemeteries, and farm lands. The native soften referred by the Spaniards
as indios became farmers or workers of the land controlled by the elite
hacienderos. There are some revolts by some natives to regain lands but failed due to
the military prowess of the Spanish government. The Maura Law of 1894 even severed the
land issue instituting the regalian doctrine that will soon to be used by the Americans. In
1896, Andres Bonifacio and his Katipunan sought for a massive campaign via revolution to
win independence and fight against feudal landlords.

Agrarian Reform
is a redistribution of lands, regardless of crops or fruits produced, to farmers and
regular farmworkers who are landless, irrespective of tenurial arrangement to include the
totality of factors and support services designed to lift the economic status of the
beneficiaries.

The Philippines is unique because it has a total of six constitutions since the
Proclamation of Independence on June 12, 1898. In 1899, the Malolos Constitution, the first
Philippine Constitution—the first republican constitution in Asia—was drafted and adopted by
the First Philippine Republic. The Malolos Constitution was adopted by the Revolutionary
Congress, held during October and November 1898 in the village of Barasoain near the city
of Malolos. It took effect on Jan. 21, 1899. The constitution assigned to the legislative body, a
unicameral national assembly, full control over the executive power (a president elected by
the national assembly) and the judicial system. The constitution provided for universal and
direct elections, the separation of church and state, compulsory and free education, and
equal legal status for the languages of all the Philippine nationalities (Guber, A. 2010). The
president can serve for four years without re-election. No vice-president.

During the American Occupation

The Philippines was governed by the laws of the United States of America. Organic
Acts were passed by the United States Congress for the administration of the Government of
the Philippine Islands. The first was the Philippine Organic Act of 190 2, which provided for a
Philippine Assembly composed of Filipino citizens.

The second was Jones Law or the Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916, which included
 the first pledge of Philippine independence. These laws served as constitutions of the
Philippines from 1902 to 1935. In 1934, the United States Congress passed the Tydings-
McDuffie Law or the Philippine Independence Act, which set the parameters for the creation
of a constitution for the Philippines. The Act mandated the Philippine Legislature to call for an
election of delegates to a Constitutional Convention to draft a Constitution for the Philippines.
The 1934 Constitutional Convention finished its work on February 8, 1935. The Constitution
was submitted to the President of the United States for certification on March 25, 1935. It was
in accordance with the Philippine Independence Act of 1934. The 1935 Constitution was
ratified by the Filipino people through a national plebiscite, on May 14, 1935 and came into
full force and effect on November 15, 1935 with the inauguration of the Commonwealth of the
Philippines. Among its provisions was that it would remain the constitution of the Republic of
the Philippines once independence was granted on July 4, 1946. The 1935 Constitution
originally set the president's term at six years, without re-election. The President and the
Vice-President shall be elected by direct vote of the people. In 1940, the 1935 Constitution
was amended by the National Assembly of the Philippines. The legislature was changed from
a unicameral assembly to a bicameral congress. The amendment also changed the term limit
of the President of the Philippines from six years with no reelection to four years with a
possibility of being reelected for a second term.
Philippine Executive Commission Chairman Jorge B. Vargas reads a message to the
Kalibapi in the presence of Lt. Gen. Shigenori Kuroda and Speaker Benigno S. Aquino, in the
old Senate Session Hall in the Legislative Building, Manila. This photograph was most
probably taken on September 20, 1943, when the Kalibapi elected the members of the
National Assembly from among its members. During World War II the Japanese-sponsored
government nullified the 1935 Constitution and appointed Preparatory Committee on
Philippine Independence to replace it. The 1943 Constitution was used by the Second
Republic with Jose P. Laurel as President.

President Corazon C. Aquino addressing the 1986

Constitutional Commission at its inaugural session
When democracy was restored in 1986, President Corazon C. Aquino issued
Proclamation No. 3, suspending certain provisions of the 1973 Constitution and promulgating
in its stead a transitory constitution. A month later, President Aquino issued Proclamation No.
9, s. 1986, which created a Constitutional Commission tasked with writing a new charter to
replace the 1973 Constitution. The commission finished its work at 12: a. of October 16,
1986. National Plebiscite was held on February 2, 1987, ratifying the new constitution. On
February 11, 1987, by virtue of Proclamation No. 58, President Aquino announced the official
canvassing of results and the ratification of the draft constitution. The 1987 Constitution
finally came into full force and effect that same day with the President, other civilian officials,
and members of the Armed Forces swearing allegiance to the new charter. The President
and the Vice President are directly elected by the electorates to serve for 6 years. The
President can only serve for one term without re-election. The Vice president may serve for
two terms.
Constitution Day For every constitutional change the Philippines has experienced, a
corresponding proclamation was issued in order to celebrate the date that each charter was
put into full force and effect—with the exception the 1943 Constitution.
 Delegate Manuel Roxas signs the Constitution. He was the leading
member of the Committee on Style, also known as the Seven Wise Men, who had a
significant impact on the final draft of the 1935 Constitution.

President Emilio Aguinaldo issued the first proclamation that celebrated the
effectiveness of a constitution in 1899 on January 23, 1899. In the Proclamation, President
Aguinaldo ordered the release of Spanish prisoners under the custody of the Philippine
revolutionary forces, to mark the inauguration of the First Philippine Republic. No subsequent
proclamations were issued because of the outbreak of the Philippine-American War and the
fall of the First Philippine Republic in 1901. When the United States Congress authorized the
creation of a constitution for the Philippines in accordance with the Tydings-Mcduffie Act of
1934, a Constitutional Convention was established to draft a charter for the Philippines and it
finished its work on February 8, 1935. On the inauguration of the Commonwealth of the
Philippines on November 15, 1935, the new charter came into full force and effect. A year
later, President Manuel L. Quezon issued Proclamation No. 36, s. 1936, declaring the 8th of
February of every year as Constitution Day to commemorate the completion of the 1934
Constitutional Convention’s task. This commemoration was observed throughout the
Commonwealth of the Philippines 2020-21 Module Packet for General Education -2
(Readings in Philippines History), College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education, University
After the ratification of the 1987 Constitution, President Aquino issued Proclamation
No. 211 s, 1988, which moved the commemoration of Constitution Day from January 17 to
February 2 of every year—a proclamation still in effect to this day.

President Corazon C. Aquino receives the 1987 Constitution from Constitutional

Commission President Cecilia Muñoz – Palma.

AGRARIAN REFORM HISTORY

History of Agrarian Reform in the Philippines

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.
 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. It strengthens 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.

President Gloria Macapacal-Arroyo (2 000 - 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.

Infrastructure 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 (2 010 - 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 – 2022)

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.
 Application – Let’s Apply

Identify and elaborate the progress of Agrarian Reform from Spanish

occupation up to Duterte administration. Give proofs/evidences on your stand.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Let’s Check for Understanding

1. How do you differentiate the Corazon Aquino’s administration to Ferdinand

Marcos administration with regard to the agrarian reforms?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the biggest contribution of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s administration

to the agrarian reforms?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
_______
Let’s Reflect
Double Entry Journal
Things I learned from this My thought/s or reaction/s
Chapter
 Based from the ideas of the historians you learned in this lesson, write a reflection
paper on how these ideas help you or will help you as a student and as a future
professional.

(Title of your Paper)

REFLECTION PAPER NO. 5

(Post-Test)
1. When was the land problem in the Philippines started?
a. Spanish occupation c. American occupation
b. Japanese occupation d. Parish occupation

2. He is a Katipunero who sought for a massive campaign via revolution to win

independence and fight against feudal landlords.
a. Francisco Baltazar
b. Apolinario Mabini
c. Jose Rizal
d. Andres Bonifacio

3. It is a redistribution of lands, regardless of crops or fruits produced, to farmers and

regular farmworkers who are landless, irrespective of tenurial arrangement to include the
totality of factors and support services designed to lift the economic status of the
beneficiaries.

a. Taxation
b. Agrarian Reform
c. DAR
d. Land Reforms

4. How many constitutions does the Philippines have since the Proclamation of
Independence on June 12, 1898
a. four b. five c. six d. seven

5. In 1934, the United States Congress passed this Law, which set the parameters for
the creation of a constitution for the Philippines.
a. Ameriacan Law
b. Jones Law
c. Philippine Organic Act
d. Tydings – McDuffie Law

6. The President who issued Proclamation No. 9, s. 1986, which created a

Constitutional Commission tasked with writing a new charter to replace the 1973 Constitution.
a. Fidel V. Ramos
b. Corazon Aquino
c. Erap Estrada
d. Gloria M. Arroyo

7. He was the leading member of the Committee on Style, also known as the Seven
Wise Men, who had a significant impact on the final draft of the 1935 Constitution.
a. Manuel Roxas
b. Manuel Quezon
c. Andres Bonifacio
d. Jose Rizal
 8. Issued the first proclamation that celebrated the effectiveness of a constitution in
1899 on January 23, 1899
a. Manuel Roxas
b. Andres Bonifacio
c. Emilio Aguinaldo
d. Emilio Jacinto

9. Before the Spaniards came to the Philippines, Filipinos lived in villages or

barangays ruled by
a. Datu
b. Kabesa De Barangay
c. Gobernadorcillo
d. Mayor

10. 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.
a. Rodrigo Duterte
b. Benigno Aquino
c. Gloria M. Arroyo
d. Erap Estrada

REFERENCES

Primary Reference

- www.DepedCommons.Com

- Pallavi Talekau, Dr, Jyotremayee Nayak, Dr. S Harichandan 2019.

Reading in the Philippine History
- (Source: Zaide, Gregoria and Zaide, Sonia. (1990). Documentary Sources of
Philippine History. Vol. 5. Manila: National Book Store.)