AGRARIAN REFORM

OBJECTIVES

To know the nature of Agrarian Reform;

To differentiate the Agrarian Reform to Land
Reform
To explain agrarian problems during the
barangay period in Philippine history
To trace development of Land ownership in
the Philippines and
To enumerate the different factors which led
tot the presence of Agrarian problems.
 Agrarian Reform

Is define as the rectification of the

whole system of agriculture.
Concerned with the relation between
production and distribution of land
among farmers.
The processing of raw materials that
are produced by farming the land from
the respective industries.
 It has a package of service that includes;

1. Credit support
2. Infrastructure
3. Farm extension
4. Legal assistance 8. Solving Agricultural Labor
5. Electrification Problems
6. Development of Rural 9. Tenure (Period of
Institution Renting the land)
7. Land Distribution 10. Administration and
a. Interrelationship Financing
pertaining to ownership 11.Social Welfare Service
b. lease, rental, and for Improving the Quality of
subdivision of land Life of the farmers.
c. improvement of land
use
d. increase of produce.
 Land Reform
Refers to the full range of measures
that may or should be taken to improve or
remedy the defect in the relations among
men with the respect to the rights in the
use of land.
is a method for effecting land
distribution of large estates into small
land holdings which would be given to the
tillers of soil.
 Early history of Distribution and Ownership of Land

Legend of the Ten Bornean Datus

Mid 13th Century The Ten Ten Datus believed to be the

Bornean Datus Epic fathers of pre-colonial Philippines;
refers to the ten 1. Datu Puti
chieftains who allegedly 2. Datu Sumakwil
ventured to the Island of 3. Datu Bangkaya
Panay boarding a boat 4. Datu Paiborong
5. Datu Paduhinogan
called balangay (or
6. Datu Dumangsol
barangay) to evade the 7. Datu Libay
tyrannical ruler of 8. Datu Dumangsil
Borneo, Datu 9. Datu Domalogdog
Makatunaw. 10. Datu Balensuela
According to the legend , upon the arrival of
the Datus, the local inhabitants of the islands
, the Aeta, terrified but the diplomatic Datu
Puti said to Marikudo – chief of the
natives that they had peaceful intention.

Later both parties enter into a trade

alliance, Marikudo invited the Datus to a
feast and this is when the ten datus
negotiated the purchase of Panay Island for
golden salakot.

The Aetas found the land overwhelmingly vast for

them they retreated to the forest, leaving the
Datus with the land which they divided among
themselves namely; AKLAN, IRON IRONG and
HAMTIK ,leading to the birth of Philippine
population and culture.
 Arguments of •Datu Puti gave Marikudo a gold
Authenticity sadok and a gold batya .
•So very Happy Marikudo also gave
•But still these legend is Datu Puti and his followers all the
considered “spoken” land a man could circle within the
historical account and part period covered by the production of
and parcel of Filipino rice, crop from planting to harvest.
Culture. •Before the Spaniards came- there
•The legend is important part was already barangay system of
of the life , culture and Land distribution.
identity of Ilonggo people •Rajah or Sultan- the head of group
and inhabitants of Panay of barangays organized to form a
Island. bigger group for protection and
•Barangay Captain- is the survival.
name of the head of their • Each barangay ruled by chieftain
barangay who had the power to divide the
land among his followers.
 The barangay system composed of;

a) Datu- who own the land

b) Maharlika- free to till the land and enjoyed the fruit of
the land but did not own the land
c) Alipin
1) Namamahay- lived with the datu to serve and did
not own the land but tilled the land for the datu.
2) Saguguilid- did not live with the Datu and serve
the Datu. He worked for all the fruits of the land
without pay except when he would be given a
portion as a reward for exceptional services.
 Spanish Regime begin

1) King Philip- colonized Luzon on November 16, 1568

2) Miguel Lopez de Legaspi- first Spanish settlers in
cebu. He had the power to grant encomiendas given
by King Philip.
3) The encomienda- a grant that had the right to collect
tribute from the fruits of the land for two generations. It
did not mean possession of the land to the grantee. It
was basically a mean of collecting tributes.
4) The ecomienderos- persons rewarded the
encomiendas for exceptional service to the Spanish
Crown.
 Responsibilities of Encomienderos

1) Accepted of the Spanish sovereignty

2) Defended the lives and property of the inhabitant
3) Propagated Catholic faith.

Two types of Encomiendas:

1) Royal Encomiendas
a) Confined to the areas which are irrigated and
cultivated
b) Near big town and seaport
c) Settled by mostly Spaniards
d) Reverted to public domain
1) Private Encomienda:
a) Grants awarded to private individuals
b) Grant specified a two generation collection of
tributes
c) Encomiendero regard grant as his private property.

The private encomiendero lived far from encomienda gave

rise to the difficulty of overseeing the welfare of
inhabitants and no rapport was established. The collection
of tributes gave rise to violence, torture and harassment,
enslavement and death. Encomienderos abused their
power. This was the start of the agrarian reform when the
abusive encomienderos were reported to the priest and
the priest reported to the administration. The tribute then
was 1/3 church authorities, 1/3 to the crown, and 1/3 to
the encomienderos. By the end of the Spanish Regime
the friars own 185,000 hectares or one fifteenth of the
land under cultivation.
 Reason for the Abolition of Encomiendas:
1) Galleon Trade- other encomienderos were attracted to shift their
activities into trading than merely making money for collecting
tributes. Mexico and Manila was open for trading.
2) Reduced income from Land- due to the share given to the Crown
and the friars
3) Different Revolts- rose due to the inhuman conditions of collecting
tributes:
a) Pampanga Revolt- protested against exorbitant tributes and
abusive treatment of the natives by encomienderos.
b) Pampanga Revolt 1660- the collection of arrears through
forced labor and not in accordance with law, not according to
his own whims and discretion
c) Bohol Revolt 1621- visayans were sent in the shipyards in
cavite. Protest against the payment of tributes and forced labor.
d) Cagayan Revolt 1596- 1621 revolted against the addition of
four reales to the tribute and abuses of encomiendero.
4) Royal Decree of 1721- all encomiendas which were vacated
should pass on the Crown.
Two General Class of Agreement of the Farmers and
Landowners
1) Inqulinato System- land owner leased portion of his land to a
farmer. This is the term used for the individual who could take
charge of raising crops for commercial purposes.
2) Kasama System- It was the landowner and the tiller of the soil
shared in the produce of the soil. Crop sharing.
 Pacto de Retro- it was a system where the elite expanded
their money through lending money to the farmer proprietor
who would mortgage his land for an amount less than the
actual cost.

Land Ownership Rested in the Hands of:

1) Religious orders
2) Spanish and Mestizo proprietors
3) The Caciques
4) The native land owners
 American Regime

1) Land Registration Act of 1902

a) Provides the means to obtain the Torrens Title to determine
ownership of the land.
b) Cadastral survey to substantiate and delineate the areas
covered by private ownership of the land.
2) Friar Lands Act of 1904
a) Authorized the government to buy friar estates to be
distributed and sold to the bonafide tenants.
3) Public Land Acts (Homestead Act)- encouraged the
emigration of farmer tenants to virgin lands for homestead
purposes.
4) Rice Share Tenancy Act- defining the distribution of shares
between tenants and landlords.

American colonial government purchased 160,000 hectares of

tenanted land belonging to the Catholic Church.
 Commonwealth Period – President Manuel L.
Quezon

Projects and Programs

1) Anti-usury Campaign.
2) Freedom to join legitimate and duly registered labor
organizations.
3) Protection tenants against ejection from the farms they till
without just cause.
4) Regulations of share crop distribution
5) Opening of virgin lands specially in Mindanao and Isabela.
6) Proliferation of homestead and settlement areas.
7) Acquisition of big land estates and distribution among tenant
farmers.
 Failure Of Agrarian Reform during
the Commonwealth Era

1) Political climate of the times

2) Continuing ignorance of the peasant
3) Poor implementation of the laws
4) Cult of personality
5) Lack of Logistic Support
6) Advent of World War II
 Laws passed during Pres. Quezon:

1)Commonwealth Act No. 20 – Authorizing the president to

expropriate or negotiate the acquisition of portions of large
landed estates for resale at cost as homestead to bonafide
occupants, appropriating P1,000,000 for this purpose.
2)Commonwealth Act No. 30 – Amend sections of Act No.
2874 known as Public Land Act 1903 to effect that:
a. Any citizen of lawful age of the Philippines or the United
States or any Corporation duly recognized by law
whose capital stock was 60% Filipino owned could
lease public land not exceeding 1,029 hectares.
b. Annual rental should not be less than 3% of the value
of land, according to appraisal and/or reappraisal made
in accordance with the provisions in Section 114 less
than 2% of the appraised and reappraised value.
3) Commonwealth Act No. 103- enacted on October 29,1936 to
afford protection of labor by creating the court of “Industrial
Relations which was authorized to fix maximum rentals to be
paid by tenants. Compulsory arbitration was enforced for any
disagreement between employers and employees, tenants and
landlords.
4)Commonwealth Act No. 213 -any persons, landlords, corporation
or corporation or corporations or their agents, partnership or
partnerships or their agents, who intimidate or coerce any
employees or laborer or tenants under his or their employ. With
the intent of preventing such employee or laborer or tenant from
joining any registered, legitimate labor organization of his own
choosing or dismisses or threatens to dismiss such employee or
laborer or tenant from his employment for having joined or for
being a member of any registered, legitimate labor organization,
shall be guilty of felony and shall be punished by imprisonment
of not exceeding one year or a fine not exceeding one thousand
pesos or both, at the discretion of the court.
5)Commonwealth Act No. 316 -Providing for the
subdivision and sale of all the portions of the friar
estates which had remained undisposed, allowing the
purchasers ten years within which to pay the purchase
price in ten equal installments, with an annual interest
of 4%, Bonafide occupants of any portion of the lands
at the time of the subdivision survey were to be given
preference to buy the land. President Quezon took
immediate steps to implement the provisions of this
Act.
5)Commonwealth Act No. 316 -Providing for the subdivision and
sale of all the portions of the friar estates which had remained
undisposed, allowing the purchasers ten years within which to pay
the purchase price in ten equal installments, with an annual interest
of 4%, Bonafide occupants of any portion of the lands at the time of
the subdivision survey were to be given preference to buy the land.
President Quezon took immediate steps to implement the
provisions of this Act.
6) Commonwealth Act No. 538 -Prohibiting the ejectment of
tenants from lands being acquired by the government.
7) Commonwealth Act No. 539 -Authorizing the president to
acquire private lands for resale as homesites and small farms to
bonafide tenants or others who would develop and work on the
land.
8) Commonwealth Act No. 459 -Creating the agricultural and
industrial Bank with power to grant agricultural and real estate
loans, to establish and operate bonded warehouses, and to
subscribe, purchase or guarantee bonds issued by agricultural and
industrial concerns.
 Evaluation of Commonwealth Government
Reforms

1. The population of landless owners were still very high

compare to the small number of landowners.
2. Richest agricultural lands were owned by rich landlords.

Example:
Negros Occidental Productive Land – 10% of the total
number of families was owned by few. Let say in 1000 families
there were there were only 100 families who owned the
productive land.
Central Luzon – the fertile areas where artificial irrigation was
available
(at government expense) were owned by a few families.
 Failure of Quezon’s Social Justice Program

1. The Political Condition of the Time – The government

was still in the hands of powerful landlords who happened
to be ruling the legislative power. It’s a natural tendency for
them to protect their own interest rather than the poor
tentants and agricultural laborers.
2. Ignorance of Poor Tenants – Many children of poor
peasants were not able to go to school due to work in the
farm and intimidated by the practice of rich landlords.
3. Poor Implementation of the Law – Since most
government officials were associated with ownership of the
land there was contradiction between theory and practice.
4. Lack of Logistic Support – Not enough funds were
allocated to carry out agrarian reforms.
5. The Advent of World War 2 – the Philippines came under
Japanese occupation.
 Achievements of the Commonwealth Government
Reform

1. Security of tenure – No tenants should be ejected by landlords

without any cause.
2. Freedom to join registered and legitimate labor organizations.
3. The setting of the minimum wage or share of agricultural
workers.
4. The regulation of the share crop distribution between tenants
and landlords in the rice producing areas to not more than
50% share for landlords.
5. Eradication of usury through the passage of the Anti Usury
Law. Before the enactment of his law, customary rates ranged
from 30% to 100% for one half year, payable either in cash or
produce after the harvest. The law provided an equitable and
fair interest rate, which varied according to certain specified
conditions but generally not more than 15% per annum.
6. Road Building.
7. The Homesteads and re – settlements projects.
8. The acquisition of big landed estates and the
apportionment of these among tenant – farmer.

Republic Act No. 34 – 1946 – this legislation provided for

a 70-30% crop sharing between tenant and landlord.
70% - of the produce for the tenant depending on his
contribution in terms of draft animals, cost of
transplanting, and use of fertilizers
30% - awarded to the landowner.
 Agrarian Reforms under the Republic of the
Philippines

Agricultural Tenancy Act (republic Act No. 1199 of

1954) which provided greater protection to the tenants
by allowing them freedom to choose the tenancy
system which would be beneficial to them.
a. This act provided for the repeal of all other tenancy
laws except the Sugar Tenancy Act. It also provided
for the creation of the Agricultural Tenancy
Commission and the court of Agrarian Relations, given
the task of administering and settling problems arising
from tenancy. An act considered Magna Carta of
Tenants.
 Evaluation of Magsaysay
Agrarian Reforms

1. Lack of sufficient
funds.
2. Lack of a clear cut
government plan
and
direction to
implement the
reforms.
3. Lack of effective
support from the
legislative sector.
 Agricultural Land Reform Code (1963)
1. To replace share tenancy 4)To enhance the complementary
with an agricultural leasehold relationship between
system as an initial step in agriculture and industry.
creating a truly workable a. This agricultural Land Reform
social and economic code was the most
structure in agriculture comprehensive legislation on
conducive to greater agrarian reform until
productivity and higher farm Presidential Decree No. 27.
income. b. Land Reform Code –
2. To establish owner-operated Republic Act No. 6389 (code
family size farms as the of Agrarian Reform) in 1972.
foundation of Philippines it created the Department of
Agriculture. Agrarian Reform.
3. To increase farmer’s c. The Agricultural Land Reform
productivity and income. code introduced leashold
system and eventually the
farm would own the land.
 President Corazon Aquino’s Comprehensive Agrarian
Reform Program or CARP
Land Ownership to qualified Farmer Beneficiaries covered by
presidential Decree No. 27; Determining the values of Remaining
Unvalued Rice and Corn Land subject P.D. No 27 and providing
for the Manner of Payment by the Farmer Beneficiary and Mode of
Compensation to the Landowner.
Executive Order No. 131 (July 22, 1987) – Instituting
Comprehensive Agrarian reform Program
It explained the principles behind the program which may be
summarize as follows:
1. It is necessary to revive and develop the full potential of
Philippines agriculture.
2. It is necessary to make our new democracy meaningful by
increasing the productivity of the farming sector.
3. The essential element in any policy of agricultural revival and
development is a comprehensive and realistic agrarian reform
program.
4.It is essential that all should address agrarian reform in the
spirit of cooperation, harmony and understanding for national
unity.
5. That reform requires the participation of all concerned in the
planning, organization and management of the program.
6. The entire Filipino people must extend support and full
cooperation in implement the program effectively.
7. The program should be realistic and flexible to take into
account differences from place to place and from community to
community.
8. The program will require definite funding as to source and
timing.
9. The President recognizes as a partner to this continuing
undertaking the co-equal Branch of the Congress whose Senate
is elected at large and therefore speaks of the nation, and who’s
House of Representatives articulates the needs and problems of
the constituencies and sectors in the land.
THE END
THANK YOU!!!