GROUP ACTIVITY

READINGS IN THE PHILIPPINE HISTORY

AGRARIAN REFORM

GROUP 1

ABIVA, JHON MARK

AGUADA, JERICO
AGUINADO, JOSHUA
ALAVA, RICHEL ANNE
ARAGO, KATE BEVERLY
AYON-AYON, ANGELIYA
BACDAY, DONATO
BALACANO, JOANNA
BALALLO, ANNE CHRISTEE

1. Compare and contrast the different administration with regards their agrarian
reform program.

Emilio Aguinaldo as the first Philippine president planned to confiscate the lands
possessed by the friars. Unfortunately, it remained a plan and was never been enacted. The
presidency of Manuel Quezon during the Commonwealth gave the spotlight to Central
Luzon bringing about an advocacy named “Social Justice”- believed to aid the social unrest
of the place. Quezon established a lot of constitutions regarding the promotion of welfare
and impartiality of treatment towards the farmers. Commonwealth Act No. 178, 1935
Constitution, National Rice and Corn Corporation (NARIC), Commonwealth Act. No. 461,
Rural Program Administration, Commonwealth Act No. 441 are his accomplishments that
gave great changes with the status of the tenants and ensured appropriate prices to
crops especially corn and rice of the tenants and their lease to their residence.

President Manuel Roxas made accomplishments regarding the 70-30 sharing

between the tenants and landlords. He also gave a more genuine assurance to the
tenants’ occupancy and recovery of their real property through Republic Act No. 55.
Elpidio Quirino made a change to the facilitating agency for Agricultural Machinery
Equipment Corporation and the Rice and Corn Production Administration.

Ramon Magsaysay, being so loved by the people made acts that resettle dissidents
and landless farmers especially the rebels who came home. He paid close attention to the
landlords-tenants relationship ensuring that they have the right to own land and must be
paid with deserving price of labor and crops. In relation with this, he was able to hand
tenanted lands to deserving people, like those people who tilt the land. This is genuine I
must say, knowing that they were the one’s cultivating the land. With the aim of uplifting
lives of the farmers, he established cooperative financing that provided loans to the
farmers with low interest. Carlos P. Garcia, the successor of Magsaysay saw the vitality
of these laws in the moment and opt to continue it.
 A recognizable RA 3844 of Diosdado Macapagal had set the bars high to open the
doors for the farmers in achieving their liberty from tenancy that has been a burden for
them in a long time. Ferdinand Marcos on the other hand, strengthens the position of
farmers and expanded the scope of agrarian reform. He enjoined different agencies to help
DAR in implanting its projects providing adequate water for the farmers.

A comprehensive rural development and rural development is the central

programs of Corazon C. Aquino. She funded the Agrarian Reform Program with 50
billion and expanded the operations of DAR. She promoted these lands of public domain
considered suitable for agriculture in the Philippines such as fishponds, agro-forestry and
others. What’s noteworthy here is the declaration of full ownership of deserving farmers. She
is known as the mother of democracy and her warm embrace to rebels who return home
giving them assistance and ownership to the lands.

Fidel V. Ramos strengthened the programs of CARP, one made by Corazon

Aquino, but excluded fishponds from the program. He set limits to agricultural land being
converted to any commercial buildings. “Erap para sa Mahihirap” of Joseph Estrada aims
at empowering poor Filipinos. He approved a law that allow small farm operations

to access long-term capital. Magkabalikat Para sa Kaunlarang Agraryo or MAGKASAKA is his

advocacy.

The second female president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo focuses on making new
economic opportunities for many Filipinos. She integrated credit assistance, extension
services, irrigation facilities, roads and bridges, marketing facilities and training and
technical support programs. The formation of KALAHI gave opportunity to achieving
greater agro-productivity. Benigno Aquino on the other hand focused on rural poverty
production. During his time, National Greening Program gave birth.

The present administration under Rodrigo Duterte established the anti- corruption
task force to investigate the department’s anomalies. He also created the “Oplan Zero
Backlog” for justice to the farmers on agrarian reform and CARP services.

Each administration has their own techniques and laws enacted to promote the
welfare of the farmers. What they have in common is the goal of uplifting lives of many
Filipinos and improving the aspect of agriculture inclined with the economy of the nation.

2. Draft a new equitable policy that would improve the present agrarian reform system in general.
ANSWER:
We propose a equitable policy that will provide many farmers who were granted lands under the
country's agrarian reform the opportunity, on a voluntary basis, to get legal proof and the security of individual
land rights. This will encourage them to invest in their property and adopt better technologies for greater
productivity and higher incomes. Many of them lack social security, savings, and access to formal financing.
With individual land titles, beneficiaries will have greater access to credit and financing, as well as government
assistance.

3. “My Best President” From the different administration with the programs that they presented, who
among the following Presidents is the most active in responding and resolving agrarian problems.

ANSWER:
We would choose president Ramon Magsaysay. President Ramon Magsaysay worked for the
establishment of the National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration (NARRA), which took over from
the EDCOR and helped in the giving of some sixty-five thousand acres to three thousand indigent families for
settlement purposes. Again, it allocated some other twenty-five thousand to a little more than one thousand
five hundred landless families, who subsequently became farmers. As further aid to the rural people, the
president established the Agricultural Credit and Cooperative Administration (ACCFA). The idea was for this
entity to make available rural credits. Records show that it did grant, in this wise, almost ten million dollars. This
administration body next devoted its attention to cooperative marketing. Along this line of help to the rural
areas, President Magsaysay initiated in all earnestness the artesian wells campaign. A group-movement known
as the Liberty Wells Association was formed and in record time managed to raise a considerable sum for the
construction of as many artesian wells as possible. The socio-economic value of the same could not be gainsaid
and the people were profuse in their gratitude. Finally, vast irrigation projects, as well as enhancement of the
Ambuklao Power plant and other similar ones, went a long way towards bringing to reality the rural
improvement program advocated by President Magsaysay.

President Ramón Magsaysay enacted the following laws as part of his Agrarian Reform Program:

 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.
 Republic Act No. 1400 (Land Reform Act of 1955) - Created the Land Tenure Administration (LTA) which
was responsible for the acquisition and distribution of large tenanted rice and corn lands over 200
hectares for individuals and 600 hectares for corporations.
 Republic Act No. 821 (Creation of Agricultural Credit Cooperative Financing Administration) - Provided
small farmers and share tenants loans with low interest rates of six to eight percent.