IMPORTANT DATES PHILIPPINE GOVERNANCE AND REVENUE
SYSTEM
PH Constitution
 1897 – Biak-na-Bato Constitution
 November 1, 1897 – constitution was
promulgated by the Philippine Revolutionary
Government
 1899 – Malolos Constitution
 June 12, 1898 – Philippine Independence
 Sept. 15, 1898 – Inagural Session
 Oct. 25, 1898 – Discussion of Const.
 Nov. 29, 1898 – Approval of Catholicism as
the State Religion
 Jan. 21, 1899 – Approval of Const.
 March 1901 – Capture of Pres. Aguinaldo
 1935 – Commonwealth Constitution
 Oct. 16, 1916 – PH Legislature was
inaugurated
 March 24, 1934 - Tydings-McDuffie Act
Law; Philippine Independence Act
 July 10, 1934 – Election for Delegates to
write the const.
 July 31, 1935 – Draft of Const.
 March 23, 1935 –Approved by US Pres
 May 14, 1935 – ratified by Filipinos
 1943 – Japanese Constitution
 September 4, 1943 – New Const. signed
and finished
 October 14, 1943 – Jose P. Laurel as Pres.
 1973 – Marcos Constitution
 June 1, 1971 – Const. convention
 Jan. 10-15, 1972 – Plebiscite
 Jan. 1973 – proclaimed ratified
 1986 – Freedom Constitution
 March 24, 1986 – Pres. Aquino signed
Proc. No. 3
 1987 Constitution
 June 2 – Const. Commission headed by
former Justice Palma
 Feb. 11, 1987 – proclaimed ratified
AGRARIAN FORM
 1931 – Tayug Uprising
 1935 – Sakdalista Uprising
 Nov. 13, 1936 – Rice Tenacy Act
 1936 – NARIC
 1939 – Rural Program Administration
 Studying our constitution became an
important part in knowing our history for it
was through the making and the
enforcement of these different
constitutions that our government – the
result of our independence from foreign
colonization- was formed.
 It is also through the constitution that our
rights as citizens of the country are
recognized and enforced.
 CONSTITUTION
 fundamental law of the land in which all
laws must follow;
 establishes the character and basic
principle of the government; and
 makes clear the rights of the individual
and creates limitations to government
power.
 Purpose of Constitution
1. It prescribes the kind of government
that will exist in the state;
2. It creates the different departments
and specifies their respective functions
and duties;
3. Source of the sovereign powers of a
government by establishing the fixed,
first or basic principle.
4. It promotes public welfare. The
constitution establishes the rights of the
people which the government is
obligated to protect.
 Historu of PH Constitution
 1897 – Biak-na-Bato Constitution
 1899 – Malolos Constitution
 1935 – Commonwealth Constitution
 1943 – Japanese Constitution
 1973 – Marcos Constitution
 1986 – Freedom Constitution
 1987 Constitution.
 Biak-na-Bato Constitution (1897)
  Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo fled to the
mountains of Biak-na-Bato in San
Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan.
 Gen. Miguel Primo de Rivera realized
even they could crush rebels in Bulacan,
it doesn’t mean the revolution would
end. Spaniards soon sued for truce with
the revolutionary forces.
 Aguinaldo met his leaders to establish
a recognized government.
 Revolutionary government already been
formed in March that year with
Aguinaldo as President in Tejeros,
San Francisco de Malabon (now
General Trias) in Cavite.
 Officials:
1. President – Emilio Aguinaldo
2. VP– Mariano Trias
3. Sect. of Interior – Isabelo Artacho
4. Sect. of Treasury – Baldomero
Aguinaldo
5. Sect. of War – Emiliano Rigeo de
Dios
 rebel leaders agreed that a republican
form of government would be formed
 I. Artacho and Feliz Ferrer were tasked
to write a constitution and adopt the
provision of the Constitution framed in
Jimaguayu, Cuba
 The constitution was promulgated by the
Philippine Revolutionary Government
on November 1, 1897, and became the
provisionary constitution of the
government during the revolution
against Spain
 despite being copied, its preamble
reiterated the objective of the Revolution
which was “the separation of the
Philippines from the Spanish Monarchy
and their Formation into an
independent state with its own
government.”
 constitution lasted for 2 years, during
which, at certain periods, it was
superseded by laws and decrees made
by Aguinaldo
 Malolos Constitution (1899)
 After the defeat of Spain by the US in
the Spanish-American War in 1898,
the Filipinos began their task of creating
the independent nation they valiantly
fought for in 1896.
 June 12, 1898 – Philippine
Independence.
 Aguinaldo ordered the convening of a
Congress in Malolos, Bulacan.
 Malolos Congress had its inaugural
session at Baarasoain Church on
September 15, 1898 amidst a large
celebration and coverage by both the
local and foreign press.
 The delegates then convened Congress
and elected its officers. Its first acts was
to ratify the Independence declaration
in Kawit.
 Congress conceived Apolinario Mabini
to be an advisory body to the President
 Group led by delegate Pedro Paterno
decided to create a constitution to form
government that would be recognized
by foreign powers.
 Mabini was against for this for he
believed that peaceful conditions should
first prevail before a constitution should
be drafted. However, He was overruled
by Paterno and his allies
 Discussion for the Constitutions began
on October 25 after the submission of
the draft by Felipe Calderon.
 Calderon drew inspiration from the
constitution of Mexico, Belguim,
Guatemala, Costa Rica, Brazil, and
France.
 On Nov. 29, 1898, Malolos Congress
approved that Catholicism would be the
State religion; voted twice
 Original draft of const. emphasized a
popular government (supreme power
is given to a legislative body)
 the President as well as the Judiciary
including the Supreme Court would be
selected by the legislative body which at
that time, was the Malolos Congress;
 Mabini objected to this and the approval
of the Constitution was delayed.
 Finally approved by Aguinaldo on
January 21, 1899.
 Malolos Republic was the first
democratic government of the
country; first republican constitution in
Asia
 The Republic was short-lived
government and ceased to exist with the
capture of President Aguinaldo in
Palanan, Isabela in March 1901.
 Main Features
1. Based on democratic traditions in which
the government formed was “popular,
representative and responsible” w/
three distinct branches-Judiciary,
Legislative, and Executive.
2. Called for a presidential form of
government w/ the president elected for
a term of four years by a majority of the
Assembly convened as a constitutuent
assembly.
3. Recognized the freedom of religion
and the separation of the Church and
State.
4. Emphasized and safeguard the basic
civil rights of not only Filipinos but
foreigners, through a Bill of Rights
(Art. XIX to XXIII).
 1935 Constitution – Commonwealth
 For a decade, the Americans ran the
government in the Philippines with
Filipinos given a role in the legislative
function when the Philippine Assembly
was established in 1907
 Administration of Gov. Gen. Francis
Burton Harrison (1913-1921) that the
Filipinization policy of the government
was put in place.
 Filipinos were given a hand in running
the country; Majority of the Phil. Com.
members and civil servants were
replaced by Filipinos.
 The colonial administration placed much
of the country’s governance in the
hands of Filipinos.
 Jone Law of 1916
o PH Autonomy Act passed by the
US Congress
o reorganized the government w/
an American governor-general,
a Cabinet, and an all-Filipino
legislature composed of Senate
and House of Representative.
 The Philippine Legislature was
inaugurated on October 16, 1916.
Sergio Osmeña as House Speaker
and Manuel L. Quezon as Senate
President.
 Harrison formed the Council of State
as an advisory body to the governor-
general.
 From 1918 to 1932, there were at least
five Philippine independence
missions to the US.
 There was the creation of the Tydings-
McDuffie Act Law by the US Congress,
and was approved on March 24, 1934
and was known as the Philippine
Independence Act.
 It provides for the drafting and
guidelines of a constitution for a 10-year
“transitional period” government
before the granting of independence.
This was known as the Commonwealth
Government.
 On July 10, 1934, an election for the
delegates to write a constitution for the
Philippines.
 202 delegates were elected and the
convention was opened on July 30. The
draft of the Constitution was finished
by July 31, 1935 and was approved by
the convention on February 8.
 The was only one dissenter, Tomas
Cabili of Lanao, who felt that the
Constitution did not serve the people
of Mindanao.
 The Constitution was approved by US
President Franklin D. Roosevelt on
March 23, 1935 and ratified by the
 Filipino people in a plebiscite on May
14, 1935.
 The 1935 Constitution of the Philippine
served as the fundamental law of the
land from 1935 to 1972.
 It established the Commonwealth of the
Philippines and provides that upon
withdrawal of American Sovereignty
in the country and the declaration of
the Philippine independence, the
common wealth shall be known as the
Republic of the Philippines.
 1943 Constitution – Japanese
 Commonwealth Government was
interrupted by the Second World War
and Japanese Occupation of the
Philippines
 The Commonwealth under President
Manuel L. Quezon went into exile in the
United States.
 As part of their policy of attraction in
their Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity
Sphere program, the Japanese offered
to grant the Philippines its
independence.
 Acting on the orders of the Japanese
military, the Kapisanan ng
Paglilingkod sa Bagong Pilipinas or
KALIBAPI, a Filipino Political Party that
serves as political party, convened and
elected a Philippine Commission for
Philippine Independence (PCPI) to
write a new constitution.
 This was finished and signed on
September 4, 1943 in a public
ceremony and ratified by the KALIBAPI
a few days later.
 On October 14, 1943, as provided for in
the new constitution, the Second
Philippine Republic was inaugurated
with Jose P. Laurel as President.
 The 1943 Constitution was reorganized
as legitimate and binding only in
Japanese-controlled areas of the Phil.
 It was abolished eventually along w/ the
Second Republic upon the liberation of
the Phil. By Americans forces in 1945
and the re-establishment of the
Commonwealth in the Philippines.
 1973 Constitution – Marcos
 On June 1, 1971, a constitutional
convention was convened at Manila
Hotel. Its purpose was to write a new
constitution that would meet the new
challenges confronting the Philippine
Republic that developed since it was
formed 1946.
 Peace and order situation brought about
the First Quarter Storm deteriorated
with students rallies and other protests
rocking the metropolis.
 The biggest scandal came when Leyte
delegate Eduardo Quintero accused
Marcos of bribing delegates to vote for
a provision to extend the presidential
term of office and to change the form of
government.
 The plebiscite was held from January
10-15, 1972 and the constitution
overwhelming approved.
 On January 1973, President Marcos
signed Proclamation No. 1102
declaring the 1973 Constitution ratified
 President was the symbolic head of
state and the Prime Minister was the
head of the government and head of
the Cabinet.
 1986 - Freedom Constitution
 On March 24, 1986, President Aquino
signed the Proclamation No.3 which
called as “Freedom Constitution” in
effect setting aside the 1973 constitution
 The President continued to exercise
legislative power until a legislative was
convened under the new constitution.
 The President was given the power to
appoint members of a constitutional
commission tasked to draft a new
charter.
 1987 Constitution
 On June 2 the Constitutional
AGRARIAN REFORM
Commission headed by former Justice
Cecilia M. Palma commenced its
session at the Batasang Pambansa in
Quezon City.
 On February 11, 1987, the new
constitution was proclaimed ratified and
in effect.
 A presidential system of government
restores the bicameral Congress of
the Philippine, composed of a Senate
and a House of Representatives.
 A modified Bill of Rights (Article III)
details the rights of every Filipino
Citizen
 The creation of a Commission on
Human Rights which, under Section
18, Article XIII, is tasked to investigate
all forms of human rights violation
involving civil and political rights.
 It provides appropriate legal measures
for the protection of human rights of
all person within the Philippines.
 The recognition of an Autonomous
Region of Muslim Mindanao and the
Cordilleras.
 Limited Political autonomy for local
government units like the provinces,
cities, municipalities, and barangays
,and instructing the Congress to
establish Local Government Code.
 administered by a presidential system of
government with a bicameral legislature
and an independent judiciary.
 3 Branches of Govt:
1. Executive
o headed by the President and
Cabinet;
2. Legislative
o composed of the Senate
headed by the Senate President
and the House of
Representative headed by the
Speaker of the House.
3. Judiciary
o headed by the Chief Justice and
the lower courts.
 The Philippine economy is largely
agricultural and industrial.
 Agricultural has been existing even
during the precolonial times considering
that rice is an Asian staple food along
with other crops.
 The agricultural economy, however,
has brought about economic and social
problems concerning the agrarian
structure as well as land tenancy with
the farmers – the ones who are actually
cultivating the fields – as the losers in
this system.
 Land Reform
 Involves changing or establishing
laws, regulations, or customs regarding
land ownership.
 refers to the remedies to improve the
relation between the tiller and the
owner of the land or employee and
employer in a farm.
 It identifies the rights of the one who
owns or uses a particular agricultural
land.
 Land reform us often used
interchangeably with agrarian reform
but the latter is much broader.
 Agrarian Reform
 Covers the restructuring of tenure and
the pre-and post-production support
services structures in the agricultural
sector.
 Problems in the distribution or
ownership of agricultural lands in the
Philippines already exist since the pre-
colonial era.
 Prior to the Spanish colonial period, a
system of land ownership was already in
place wherein the datu served as the
principal owner of the lands while the
maharlika and the timawa were
entitled to have some parts of the land
in a certain are. People categorized as
 alipin (slave) served as workers of the
community.
 The Philippine Rice Share Tenancy
Act (Public Act 4054)
 regulate share-tenancy contacts by
establishing minimum standards.
 aims to strengthen tenant-landlord
relationship through a 50-50 sharing, a
10% interest ceiling (maximum) on loans
by the tenants and non-dismissal of
tenants on tenuous grounds.
 American Colonization Period
 The colonial government tried to solve
the agrarian problem by purchasing the
so-called “friar lands” from religious
corporations and selling them to the
tenants. However, much of the land
ended up with new landlords who were
mostly Filipinos.
 The agrarian problem worsened during
the American period. Many tenants
soon began to resort to armed means to
“ get back” their land. Some of them
claimed that the lands they were
claimed by landlords with “land titles”.
 Tayug Uprising in Pangasinan in 1931
and Sakdalista Uprising in 1935
 President Quezon espoused “social
justice” in an attempt to stop the
agrarian unrest in Central Luzon and
alleviate the poverty of the farmers.
 This program was in line with the
provisions of Article II, Section 5 of
the 1935 Constitution which states that
“The promotion of social justice to
ensure the well-being and economic
security of all people should be the
concern of the State”.
 Commonwealth Era
 Commonwealth Act No. 178 on Nov. 13,
1936 amending the Rice Tenancy Act
No. 4045 of 1933 provided for certain
controls in the landlord –tenant
relationships with regard to rice lands.
 NARIC ( National Rice and Corn
Corporation) in 1936 – to control the
prices of rice and corn which benefited
the farmers and consumers.
 The Rural Program Administration –
an office created in 1939, was mandated
to facilitate the sale or lease of the
haciendas to the tenants.
 Many of the social justice programs of
the Commonwealth Government,
however, were not enforced.
Legislation of these planned programs
was thwarted (dissatisfied) by many of
the landowning legislators in the
Commonwealth National Assembly who
would be affected if they would pass
these laws.
 3rd – 5th PH Republic
 Agrarian problems still remained even
after the Philippine independence was
declared in 1946. what made it worse
was that the agrarian unrest became
part of the full-blown revolt against the
government.
 The movement was spearheaded by
former members of the peasant guerrilla
army, Hukbong Bayan Lapan sa
Hapon (HUKBALAHAP) who later
changed their name to Hukbong
Mapagpalaya ng Bayan (People’s
Liberation Army).
 The succeeding administrations tried to
address these agrarian problems while,
at the same time, attempted to suppress
the insurgency.
 Pres. M. Roxas Administration (1946-
1948)
 R.A. No. 34 which established 70-30
sharing arrangement between landlord
and tenants and regulated share-
tenancy contracts.
 R.A. No. 55 which provided security to
tenants from arbitrary ejectment from
the land they are cultivating.

 Pres. Elpidio Quirino (1948-1953)
 Executive Order No. 355 which
replaced the National Land Settlement
Development Corporation
(LASEDECO) – took over the two
agrarian offices: the Agricultural
Machinery Equipment Corporations
and the Rice and Corn Production
Administration.
 Ramon Magsaysay (1953-1957)
 R.A. No. 1199 or the Agricultural
Tenancy Act of 1954 which governed
the tenant-landowner relationship by
organizing the share-tenancy and
leasehold system.
 It also created the Court of Agrarian
Relations.
 R.A. No. 1400 Land Reform Act of
1955
o creates the Land Tenure
Administration (LTA) to handle
the acquisition and distribution
of large tenanted rice and corn
lands over 200 hectares for
individual and 600 hectares for
corporations.
 R.A. No. 821 – Creation of Agricultural
Credit Cooperative Financing
Administration
o signed to help tenant farmers.
o Created an agricultural bank
provided small farmers and
share tenants with low-interest
loans.
 Pres. Diosdado Macapagal (1961-
1965)
 R.A. No. 3844 – Agricultural Land
Reform Code which heavily favored
tenant farmers. Its provisions include
abolition of share tenancy and provided
for the leasing of agrarian lands to
farmers.
 It also set a retention limit of 75
hectares for landowners;
 invested rights of preemption and
redemption for tenant farmers;
 Put in place and administrative
machinery for implementations
 Institutionalized a judicial system for
agrarian cases; and
 Incorporated extension, marketing, and
supervised credit system of services for
farmers beneficiaries.
 This law was hailed as one that would
emancipate (liberate) Filipino farmers
from the bondage of tenancy. It
became the precursor of the agrarian
reform programs of the succeeding
administration.
 Pres. Ferdinand Marcos
 Presidential Decree No. 2 (Sept. 26,
1972)– declared the entire country a
land reform
 R.A. No. 6389 – Code of Agrarian
Reform which created the Department
of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to replaced
the existing Land Authority
 1978, the DAR was renamed the
Ministry of Agrarian Reform when the
government adopted the parliamentary
system.
 P.D. N0.27 of Oct. 1972
o provided for tenanted lands
devoted to rice and corn to pass
ownership to the tenants, and
lowered the ceiling for
landholding to seven hectares.
o stipulated that share tenants
who worked on landholding of
over seven hectares could
purchase the land they tilled
while share tenants on the land
less than seven hectares would
become leaseholders.
o Marcos’s agrarian reform
program also included credit
support, infrastructure, and
legal assistance for farmers.
 Pres. Corazon C. Aquino
 Article XIII, Section 4 of the 1987
Constitution which is the provisions
creating agrarian reform and Article II,
Sections 21 which is promoting rural
development and agrarian reform.
 1988 – Pres. Cory Aquino signed R.A.
6657 known as the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) – was
enacted to offer lawful basis for the
implementation of the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program or CARP it
took effect on June 15, 1988
 E.O. No. 228 (July 16, 1987) which gave
full ownership to qualified farmer-
beneficiaries covered by PD No. 27.
 E.O. No. 229 (July 22, 1987) which
provided a mechanism for the
implementation of the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program (CARP)
 Proc. No. 131 (July 22, 1987) which
instituted the CARP as a major program
of the government for an Agrarian
Reform Fund (ARF), with an initial
amount of Php50 billion to cover the
estimated program from 1987 – 1992.
 E.O. No. 129 – A (July 26, 1987) that
streamlined (rationalized) and expanded
the power and operations of the DAR.
 E.O. No. 407 (June 14, 1990) that
ordered the acceleration of the
acquisition and distribution of
agricultural lands, pasture lands,
fishponds, agroforestry lands and other
lands of the public domain suitable for
agriculture.
 Pres. Fidel V. Ramos (1992 – 1998)
 revive public trust in the agrarian reform
program
 the program was deemed a failure the
Aquino administration because Pres.
Cory was a member of the Cojuanco
Family which owned one of the largest
hacienda in Luzon – the Hacienda
Luisita. The hacienda which was mainly
devoted to sugarcane production was
notably exempted from agrarian reform
which was concentrated mostly on rice
and corn lands.
 R.A. No. 7905 – strengthen the
implementation of the CARP and limited
the land conversion scheme by making
certain types of agricultural land as non-
negotiable for conversion or highly-
restricted to be converted.
 R.A. No. 8532 (Agrarian Reform Fund
Bill) which provided an additional Php50
billion for CARP as extended its
implementation for another 10 years.
 Pres. Joseph E. Estrada (1998-2000)
 E.O. No. 151 that consolidated small
farm operations into medium-or large
scale enterprise to qualify or long-term
capital.
 He also ordered the DAR to plan joint
projects between private investors and
the agrarian sector under his
Magkabalikat Para sa Kaunlarang
Agraryo or MAGKASAKA program.
 Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (2000-
2010)
 DAR was renamed in her term. It was
named the Department of Land
Reform through Executive Order No.
364 last September 27, 2004.
 Got back to using DAR again through
Executive Order No. 456 last August 25,
2005.
 E. O. No. 364 to widen the function of
the Dept. of Land Reform vis-a-vis land
reform programs in the Philippines. The
order added jurisdiction over the
 Philippine Commission on Urban Guide Questions
Poor (PCUP) and the recognition of the 1. Evaluate the current agrarian
ownership of ancestral lands. reform program.
 E.O. No. 456 which instructed the Dept. 2. What is the general conditions
of Land Reform to revert to its original of the current agrarian system in
name – the DAR to promote beneficial the Philippines?
activities for the agricultural sector. It 3. How do you think should the
stated the “the Comprehensive Agrarian program be amended?
Reform Law goes beyond just land
reform but includes the totality of all
factors and support services designed to
lift the economic status of the
beneficiaries.
 R.A. No. 9700 –extending the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform
Program for another five years
beginning July 2009. That same law
allots Php150 billion for the acquisition
and distribution of 1.6 million hectares of
land for 1.2 million beneficiaries and the
provision of support services for
farmers.

 Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III

 Agrarian reform seems to have not
fared well under the administration
of Pres. Noynoy Aquino. A report by
a non-governmental organization
(NGO), the Focus on the Global
South, in 2013 – halfway through
the PNoy Administration –showed
dismissal performance by the
DAR in land redistribution in spite of
the promise by the government to
complete it by June 2014.
 The priorities of the Department of
Agriculture (DA) which were
concentrated on the agribusiness
sector made the DAR the sole
department that provided farmers
support for their agricultural
production. The farmers also
competed with foreign
agricultural productions which
entered the local market through the
economic liberalization program of
the government.