Agrarian%20Final2.pdf

AGRARIAN REFORM

Learning Outcomes

  • Trace the history of land reform programs in the Philippines.

  • Discuss the salient features of each agrarian system.

  • Evaluate the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

Overview of the Agricultural Economy

  • The Philippine economy is predominantly agricultural, alongside industrial activities.

  • Agriculture has its roots in pre-colonial times, with rice as a staple food and other crops contributing.

  • The agrarian structure poses economic and social challenges, with farmers often becoming the losers in tenant systems.

Definitions

Land Reform

  • Involves legal changes regarding land ownership.

  • Aims to improve relations between landowners and cultivators.

  • Distinct from agrarian reform; land reform is a component of the larger agrarian reform.

Agrarian Reform

  • Focuses on restructuring land tenure and support services within agriculture.

  • Historical issues with land distribution can be traced back to pre-colonial times, where leadership structures influenced land ownership.

Historical Contexts

Philippine Rice Share Tenancy Act (Public Act 4054)

  • Aims to regulate share-tenancy contracts.

  • Establishes minimum standards, including a 50-50 sharing agreement, a 10% maximum interest on loans, and non-dismissal of tenants without valid grounds.

American Colonization Period

  • The government attempted to resolve agrarian issues by purchasing "friar lands" and reselling to tenants.

  • Many of the tenants were ultimately dispossessed as new landlords emerged.

  • Armed uprisings occurred due to tenant grievances over land ownership.

Agrarian Unrest

Tayug Uprising (1931) & Sakdalista Uprising (1935)

  • President Quezon's push for "social justice" aimed to address agrarian unrest and improve the living conditions of farmers.

  • Linked to the Constitution's provisions on promoting social justice.

Commonwealth Era

Commonwealth Act No. 178 (1936)

  • Amended previous tenant relationships regarding rice lands.

  • Established the National Rice and Corn Corporation (NARIC) to help manage rice prices.

Rural Program Administration (1939)

  • Mandated the facilitation of land sale or lease to tenants.

Limitations

  • Proposed social justice programs were inadequately enforced due to landowning legislators' opposition.

Post-Independence Era

  • Agrarian issues persisted after independence in 1946; unrest turned into broader government revolts.

  • The Hukbalahap insurgency transitioned into the People’s Liberation Army.

Key Legislative Measures

President Manuel A. Roxas (1946-1948)

  • R.A. No. 34 established a 70-30 sharing arrangement; R.A. No. 55 secured tenant protections against eviction.

President Elpidio Quirino (1948-1953)

  • Executive Order No. 355 restructured agrarian offices to streamline land reform measures.

President Ramon Magsaysay

  • R.A. No. 1199 (Agricultural Tenancy Act of 1954) formalized landlord-tenant relationships.

  • Established the Court of Agrarian Relations.

Land Reform Acts in the 1950s

R.A. No. 1400 – Land Reform Act

  • Created Land Tenure Administration for management of large land acquisitions.

R.A. No. 821 – Agricultural Credit Cooperative Financing Administration

  • Established an agricultural bank for low-interest loans to small farmers.

Agrarian Reform Initiatives

President Diosdado Macapagal (1961-1965)

  • R.A. No. 3844 favored tenant farmers and abolished share tenancy.

  • Enforcement of retention limits and preemption rights.

President Ferdinand Marcos

  • Presidential Decree No. 2 declared an overarching land reform initiative.

  • R.A. No. 6389 established the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

  • P.D. No. 27 facilitated ownership transfer for tenants on rice and corn lands.

Recent Developments

President Corazon C. Aquino (1986-1992)

  • Enacted R.A. 6657 for Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL).

  • Focused on redistributing land and providing support services to farmers.

E.O. No. 228 (1987)

  • Full ownership granted to beneficiaries of earlier land reform programs.

Challenges and Political Dynamics

President Fidel V. Ramos (1992-1998)

  • Addressed public distrust in agrarian reform initiatives from previous administrations.

  • R.A. No. 7905 strengthened CARP implementation and land conversion regulations.

President Joseph E. Estrada (1998-2000)

  • E.O. No. 151 aimed to consolidate small farms to enhance capital access.

Contemporary Programs

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (2001-2010)

  • Altered nomenclature of the DAR and expanded its functions through executive orders.

  • Legislated additional funding for CARP extensions.

President Benigno S. Aquino III (2010-2016)

  • Vowed to complete CARP and distribute Hacienda Luisita lands.

  • Implemented various projects to support agrarian reform beneficiaries.

President Rodrigo Duterte (2016-present)

  • Launched a phase focused on undeveloped lands for agrarian reform.

  • Established anti-corruption initiatives within DAR to improve integrity.

New Legislation

Republic Act No. 11953 – New Agrarian Emancipation Act

  • Targets to write off debts for over 610,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries.

  • Promotes food security and recognition of farm worker rights.

Evaluation Questions

  • Assess the current state of agrarian reform initiatives in the Philippines.

  • Reflect on potential amendments needed for existing agrarian systems.