READINGS IN

PHILIPPINE
HISTORY
MODULE 12: AGRARIAN
REFORM POLICIES

GROUP 6
 LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Discuss the country’s social, political, economic and economic
issues through lens of history
• Analyze how the events and decision of the past have affected the
present
• Gain access to and insights into some primary sources n Philippine
History
• Present suggestions/solutions to the current problems

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University for the People
Agrarian Reform
Policies

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University for the People
INTRODUCTION
• Landlessness as the main source
of rural poverty, a legacy of
colonialism
• Struggle of small farmers for land
rights and natural resources
• Need for equitable land
ownership and empowered
agrarian reform beneficiaries
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 HOW IMPORTANT
AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
IN THE PHILIPPINES AND
OUR LIFE?

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University for the People
Agrarian Reform Policies
History of Agrarian Reform
Land Reform- Redistribution • It is a 100 year history of
of piece of land to the unfinished reform after the
farmers from land owners colonizers invaded the
Agrarian Reform- country.
Rectification of the whole • Before the Hispanic period,
system of agriculture there were no owner-
cultivators only communal
lands.
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PRE-SPANISH ERA
• Communal land ownership
system
• Three types of individuals:
noble men, freemen, and
dependents
• No formalized procedures
for private land ownership
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WHAT DO YOU THINK
WHAT ARE THE REASON
WHY 1898 REVOLUTION
HAPPEN?

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Spanish Period (1521-1898)
• Introduction of private land
ownership
• Encomienda system
• Issuance of Royal Decrees
and Maura Law
• dispossession of peasants
• Injustices leading to the
1898 Philippine Revolution
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Agrarian Revolt (1745-46)
• Filipino landowners rose in
arms over the land-grabbing
of Spanish friars, with native
landowners demanding that
Spanish priests return their
lands on the basis of
ancestral domain.

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Philippine Revolutionary Government
(1898-1899)
• Aguinaldo's intention to
confiscate friar lands
• Controversy over land
ownership and the 1898
Philippine Revolution

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University for the People
American Rule (1898-1935)
• Complications due to lost land
records
• Introduction of Torrens system of
land registration
• Failure to address landlessness and
increase in tenancy rates
• Favoring of rich landowners
(hacienderos)
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Commonwealth Era
(1935-1946)
• Rice Tenancy Act of 1933
and its implementation
issues
• Incorporation of social
justice provision in the
Constitution
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Second Philippine Republic
• Japanese Occupation (1941-1945)
• Rise of the HUKBALAHAP
movement
1. HUKBALAHAP CONTROLLED THE
WHOLE CENTRAL LUZON
2. PEASANT EARNED FICED RENTAL OF
LAND
3. PEASANTS ARMED THEM SELVES
AND WERE AGAINST THE JAPANESE
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Roxas Administration (1946-1948)
• Proclamation of the
Rice Tenancy Act of
1933
• Republic Act 34 of
1946 (Tenant Act)

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University for the People
Quirino Administration (1948-1953)
• Lack of focus on agrarian reform
BALL MISSION 1950 – acquiring large estate at fair value
for resale in small holdings to tillers of the soil
- Failed to address the land problem of the peasants
Executive Order No. 355 (October 23, 1950)
Replaced the National Land Settlement
Administration with Land Settlement
Development Corporation (LASEDECO) for the
resettlement of landless peasants, but it was not able to
resettle as many landless peasant as possible but only 400
families.
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Magsaysay Administration (1953-1957)
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (EDCOR)-
Magsaysay resettlement project under EDCOR settle more or
less 1000 families.
1994- NATIONAL RESETTLEMENT and REHABILITATION
ADMINISTRATION was established to take care the
resettlement of the peasants.
1. AGRICULTURAL TENANCY ACT OF 1954- tenure of
tenants-land owners
2. LAND REFORM ACT OF 1955 was passed which created
the LAND TENURE ADMINISTRATION, which purpose is to
expropriate landed estates, the size od which maximum
retention limit to 300 and 600 hctrs of contiguous area for
private individuals and corporations respectively.
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Garcia Administration
(1957-1961)
• Stalemate between landlords and
Congress

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 Macapagal Administration (1961-1965)
• Limitations in implementation and declining farmer
productivity
1. AGRICULTURAL LAND REFORM CODE (1993)-
distribution of private lands to farmers on easy term
of payments.
- reduce the land rent to the average o 25 per cent of the
last 3 annual harvest preceding the rent reduction
agreement
2. RETENTION LIMIT OF 75 HECTARES
3. EXEMPTION RULE OF BIG COMPANIES, TRANSFER OF
LANDLORDISM
Marcos Administration
• Operation Land Transfer (OLT)

• Limitations and loopholes in Marcos' land reform programs

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 27(TENANT EMANCIPATION DEREE)
- MARTIAL LAW
- NEW SOCIETY
- ABOLISH TENACY IN RICE AND CORN LAND
- EMPOWERD RHE DEP IF AGRARIAN REFORM TO EXPROPRIATE FROM LANDLORDS THEIR RICE AND
CORN LANDS WHICH EXCEEDED 7 HECTRES AND DISTRIBUTE THEM IN SMALER LOTS TO THE
TENANT FARMERS.
- Ammended by PD NO, 57
RA 6390- AGRARIAN REFORM SPECIAL FUND ACT- finance the agrarian refvorm programs
TENANT EEMANCIPATION ACT- operational land transfer
When MARTIAL LAW ws lifted 1981, the number of farmers who became owners of corn and ricer land
numbered 532,153 in 45 provinces.
This resulted of the countries becoming self sufficient in rice production and started to export rice to
other country
Aquino Administration (1986-1992)
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
Republic Act No. 9700, August 7, 2009- The
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with the
extension or CARPEL which provide for a five year
extension to cover the distribution over 1.1 m hectares
of agricultural land
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Ramos Administration
(1992-1998)
• Efforts to implement CARP
• Amendment of CARL through R.A.
8532

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Estrada Administration
(1998-2001)
• Magkabalikat para sa Kaunlarang
Agraryo (MAGSASAKA) program

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Arroyo Administration
(2001-2010)
• Comprehensive Agrarian Reform
Program Extension with Reforms
(CARPER)

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University for the People
Noynoy Aquino
Administration (2010-2016)
• CARPER focus
• Challenges: landowner resistance,
bureaucratic delays
• Criticisms: slow land distribution,
limited support services​

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University for the People
Rodrigo Duterte
Administration (2016-2022)
• Executive Order No. 75
• Emphasis on support services (roads,
irrigation)
• Criticisms: implementation issues,
land title problems​

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Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Administration (2022-Present)
• Signing of the New Agrarian Emancipation Act
Debt condonation for agrarian reform beneficiaries
Focus on modernizing agriculture and support
services
Initiatives:
• Distribution of unused government agricultural
lands
• Emphasis on technological advancement for
farmers

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University for the People
Sigi bye.

Isabela State University

University for the People