Philippine History: Social, Political, Economic, and Cultural Issues

Module 4: Social, Political, Economic, and Cultural Issues in Philippine History

This module covers agrarian reform policies, the evolution of the Philippine Constitution, and the history of taxation.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Identify and use primary sources.
  • Master historical facts and their connections.
  • Communicate historical analysis effectively.
  • Propose recommendations to present-day problems based on an understanding of root causes and anticipation of future scenarios.

Pre-Assessment

  1. When did Aguinaldo approve and proclaim the Malolos Constitution?
    • a. January 1899
    • b. November 1899
    • c. March 1897
    • d. August 1897
  2. Which constitution was prepared by Isabelo Artacho and Felix Ferrer?
    • a. 1935 Constitution
    • b. Malolos Constitution
    • c. Biac-na-Bato Constitution
    • d. 1943 Constitution
  3. How many articles does the 1935 Constitution have?
    • a. 18
    • b. 16
    • c. 13
    • d. 23
  4. Who was the President of the Philippine Republic during the 1934 Constitutional Convention?
    • a. Epifanio De los Santos
    • b. Claro M. Recto
    • c. Manuel Quezon
    • d. Emilio Aguinaldo
  5. Were women allowed to vote under the 1935 Constitution?
    • a. Yes
    • b. No
  6. What is another name for the Second Philippine Republic?
    • a. The Commonwealth
    • b. Biac-na-Bato
    • c. Os-Rox Government
    • d. Puppet Government
  7. When did Marcos declare Martial Law?
    • a. September 12, 1972
    • b. September 23, 1972
    • c. September 21, 1972
    • d. September 2, 1972
  8. The Provisional Constitution is known as the Freedom Constitution.
    • a. Correct
    • b. Incorrect
    • c. Partly Correct
    • d. Partly Incorrect
  9. Which is the short-lived constitution of the Philippines?
    • a. 1943 Constitution
    • b. 1935 Constitution
    • c. 1987 Constitution
    • d. 1973 Constitution

True or False

  1. The basic geographical unit during pre-colonial times was known as Timawa.
  2. Encomienda was a territory led by the Spanish King to any conquistador as a reward for his service.
  3. The Cacique class was composed of Cabezas and Gobernadorcillos.
  4. Forced labor was imposed on both male and female.
  5. Tenants living in church lands paid a tax known as “canon” to the friars.
  6. Homesteading was an American land reform program.
  7. The Sakdalista movement was initiated by Benigno Aquino.
  8. The Department of Agrarian Reform was formed in 1970.
  9. P.D No. 2 emancipated the tenant-farmers from the bondage of the soil.
  10. CARP means Cooperative of Agrarian Reform of the Philippines.

Matching Type

Match column A to Column B:

  • Column A:
    1. Cabeza de Barangay
    2. Padron
    3. Falla
    4. Galleon Trade
    5. BIR
    6. Forced Labor
    7. Tribute
    8. Chinese traders
    9. Cedula Personal
    10. Tax
  • Column B:
    • a. Enforced proportional contribution
    • b. Polo y Servicio
    • c. Personal tax number
    • d. “Cash or in kind” collection
    • e. Taxpayers list
    • f. Offering to the church
    • g. Paid the tribute double than the natives
    • h. Office responsible for tax collection at present
    • i. Sum of money to be exempted from polo
    • j. Certificate of Identification during the Spanish era
    • m. Manila-Acapulco ties
    • n. Responsible for the Spanish revenue system

Core Content: Agrarian Reform History and Policies

Pre-Spanish Period
  • Barangay: The basic unit of government composed of 30-100 families, usually related by blood, ruled by a datu.
  • Social Classes: Nobles (datu and family), freemen (maharlika), and dependents (aliping namamahay - serfs, and aliping sagigilid - slaves).
  • Land Access: Everyone had access to the land.
  • Trade: Barter trade was used, with no currency.
Spanish Period
  • Encomienda System: The Spaniards subdivided the Philippines into encomiendas.
  • Encomiendero: Leader of the encomienda with the power to collect taxes from the natives.
  • Abuse: Encomienderos became abusive and corrupt, not remitting the total collected taxes to the King of Spain.
  • Transformation: Natives became share tenants of the land they tilled.
First Philippine Republic
  • Malolos Republic (1899): Established by virtue of the Malolos Constitution, with Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo as President.
  • Land Confiscation: Intended to confiscate large tracts of land, especially those owned by the church (Friar Lands).
  • Failure: This plan was not materialized because Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo was captured and led to the death of this Republic.
American Period
  • Philippine Bill of 1902: Set ceilings on land ownership: 16 hectares for private individuals and 1,024 hectares for corporations.
  • Land Registration Act of 1902 (Act No. 496): Provided for comprehensive registration of land titles under the Torrens system.
  • Public Land Act of 1903: Introduced the homestead system in the Philippines.
  • Tenancy Act of 1933 (Act No. 4054 and 4113): Regulated relationships between landowners and tenants of rice (50-50 sharing) and sugar cane lands.
  • Torrens System Issues: Many were unaware of the law or could not afford the survey costs and fees.
Commonwealth Period
  • President Manuel L. Quezon: Initiated the Social Justice Program due to social unrest in Central Luzon.
  • 1935 Constitution: Mandated the promotion of social justice to ensure the well-being and economic security of all people.
  • Commonwealth Act No. 178 (1936): Amended the Rice Tenancy Act No. 4045, providing for certain controls in landlord-tenant relationships.
  • National Rice and Corn Corporation (NARIC) (1936): Established prices for rice and corn to help poor tenants and consumers.
  • Commonwealth Act. No. 461 (1937): Specified reasons for dismissal of tenants, requiring approval from the Tenancy Division of the Department of Justice.
  • Rural Program Administration (1939): Facilitated the purchase and lease of haciendas and their sale/lease to tenants.
  • Commonwealth Act No. 441 (1939): Created the National Settlement Administration with a capital stock of P20,000,000P20,000,000.
Japanese Occupation
  • Pearl Harbor Bombing: December 7, 1941, followed by attacks in the Philippines, including Clark Field, Pampanga.
  • Hukbalahap: Controlled areas of Central Luzon.
  • Land Redistribution: Landlords supporting the Japanese lost lands to peasants; those supporting Huks earned fixed rentals.
  • Peasant Gains: The end of the war also signaled the end of gains acquired by the peasants.
  • Peasant and Worker Organizations: Grew in strength.
  • HUKBALAHAP: Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon (Anti-Japanese group).
Philippine Republic
  • Declaration of Independence (1946): Marked the start of the Third Philippine Republic, but land tenure problems persisted.
  • Congress Revision: Congress revised the tenancy law.
  • President Manuel A. Roxas (1946-1948):
    • Republic Act No. 34: Established 70-30 sharing arrangements and regulated share-tenancy contracts.
    • Republic Act No. 55: Provided safeguards against arbitrary ejectment of tenants.
  • President Elpidio R. Quirino (1948-1953):
    • Executive Order No. 355 (1950): Replaced the National Land Settlement Administration with Land Settlement Development Corporation (LASEDECO).
  • President Ramon Magsaysay (1953-1957):
    • Republic Act No. 1160 (1954): Abolished LASEDECO and established the National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration (NARRA) to resettle dissidents and landless farmers.
    • Republic Act No. 1199 (Agricultural Tenancy Act of 1954): Governed the relationship between landowners and tenant farmers, securing tenants' tenure and creating the Court of Agrarian Relations.
    • Republic Act No. 1400 (Land Reform Act of 1955): Created the Land Tenure Administration (LTA) for 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.
  • President Carlos P. Garcia (1957-1961): Continued Magsaysay's program; no new legislation passed.
  • President Diosdado P. Macapagal (1961-1965):
    • Republic Act No. 3844 (August 8, 1963): Agricultural Land Reform Code abolished share tenancy, institutionalized leasehold, set retention limit at 75 hectares, and invested rights of preemption and redemption for tenant farmers.
President Ferdinand E. Marcos (1965-1986)
  • Proclamation No. 1081 (September 21, 1972): Ushered in the Period of the New Society.
  • Land Reform Area: The entire country was proclaimed a land reform area.
  • Republic Act No. 6389 and RA No. 6390 (1971): Created the Department of Agrarian Reform and the Agrarian Reform Special Account Fund.
  • Presidential Decree No. 2 (September 26, 1972): Declared the country under land reform program.
  • Presidential Decree No. 27 (October 21, 1972): Restricted land reform scope to tenanted rice and corn lands and set retention limit at 7 hectares.
President Corazon C. Aquino (1986-1992)
  • 1987 Constitution: Mandated comprehensive rural development and agrarian reform.
  • Republic Act No. 6657 (June 10, 1988): Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL), effective June 15, 1988.
  • Executive Order No. 228 (July 16, 1987): Declared full ownership to qualified farmer-beneficiaries covered by PD 27.
  • Executive Order No. 229 (July 22, 1987): Provided mechanism for implementing CARP.
  • Proclamation No. 131 (July 22, 1987): Instituted CARP and provided a Php50 billion Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF).
  • Executive Order No. 129-A (July 26, 1987): Streamlined and expanded the power and operations of the DAR.
  • Executive Order No. 405 (June 14, 1990): Vested in the Land Bank of the Philippines the responsibility to determine land valuation and compensation for all lands covered by CARP.
  • Executive Order No. 407 (June 14, 1990): Accelerated the acquisition and distribution of agricultural lands.
President Fidel V. Ramos (1992-1998)
  • Vision: “Fairer, faster and more meaningful implementation of the Agrarian Reform Program.”
  • Republic Act No. 7881 (1995): Amended RA 6657 and exempted fishponds and prawns from CARP.
  • Republic Act No. 7905 (1995): Strengthened the implementation of CARP.
  • Executive Order No. 363 (1997): Limited the type of lands that may be converted.
  • Republic Act No. 8435 (1997): Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) plugged legal loopholes in land use conversion.
  • Republic Act 8532 (1998): Agrarian Reform Fund Bill provided an additional Php50Php50 billion for CARP and extended its implementation for another 10 years.
President Joseph E. Estrada (1998-2000)
  • Executive Order N0. 151 (September 1999): Farmer’s Trust Fund allowed the voluntary consolidation of small farm operations into medium and large scale integrated enterprise that can access long-term capital.
  • Magkabalikat Para sa Kaunlarang Agraryo (MAGKASAKA): DAR forged joint ventures with private investors into agrarian sector to make FBs competitive.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (2001-2010)
  • Vision: “To make the countryside economically viable for the Filipino family by building partnership and promoting social equity and new economic opportunities towards lasting peace and sustainable rural development.”
  • Land Tenure Improvement: Vigorous implementation of land acquisition and distribution.
  • Support Services: Credit assistance, extension services, irrigation facilities, roads and bridges, marketing facilities and training and technical support programs.
  • Infrastructure Projects: Transformation of agrarian reform communities (ARCs) into rural economic zones.
  • KALAHI ARZone: Zones consisting of one or more municipalities with concentration of ARC population to achieve greater agro-productivity.
  • Agrarian Justice: Hiring paralegal officers to support adjudicatory boards and respect the rights of both farmers and landowners.
President Benigno Aquino III (2010-2016)
  • CARP Completion: Vowed to complete CARP.
  • Hacienda Luisita Distribution: Distributed their family-owned Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac.
  • ARCCESS Project: Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services project created to contribute to rural poverty reduction.
  • APCP: Agrarian Production Credit Program provided credit support for crop production.
  • LCMS: Legal case monitoring system, a web-based legal system for recording and monitoring various kinds of agrarian cases.
  • Executive Order No. 26 (2011): Mandated the DA-DENR-DAR Convergence Initiative to develop a National Greening Program.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (2016 – Present)
  • Aggressive Land Reform: Prioritized support services alongside land distribution.
  • 2nd Phase of Agrarian Reform: Awarding landless farmers with undistributed lands under CARP.
  • Public Lands: Plans to place almost all public lands, including military reserves, under agrarian reform.
  • Boracay Lands: Placed 400 hectares of agricultural lands in Boracay under CARP.
  • Anti-Corruption Task Force: Created to investigate reports on alleged anomalous activities.
  • Oplan Zero Backlog: Pursues resolution of cases in relation to agrarian justice delivery.

Evolution of the Philippine Constitution

The Philippines has had a total of six constitutions since the Proclamation of Independence on June 12, 1898.

Matrix of the Constitution of the Philippines
  • 1897 Biac-na-Bato Constitution - 34 articles
    • Felix Ferrer and Isabelo Artacho - November 1, 1897
  • 1899 Malolos Constitution -101 articles
    • Felipe Calderón y Roca and Felipe Buencamino – January 21, 1899
  • 1935 Constitution – 18 articles
    • Constitutional Convention Delegates - May 14, 1935
  • 1943 Constitution – 12 articles
    • Philippine Executive Commission -1 January 1943
  • 1973 Constitution -17 articles
    • Constitutional Convention of 1971 - January 27, 1973
  • Provisional Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines - 7 articles
    • Corazon C. Aquino – March 25, 1986
  • 1987 Constitution – 18 articles
    • Constitutional Commission – February 2, 1987
Key Events
  • Malolos Constitution (1899): The first Philippine Constitution and the first republican constitution in Asia.
  • American Occupation: The Philippines was governed by the laws of the United States of America.
    • Philippine Organic Act of 1902: Provided for a Philippine Assembly composed of Filipino citizens.
    • Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916: Included the first pledge of Philippine independence.
  • Philippine Independence Act (1934): Set the parameters for the creation of a constitution for the Philippines.
  • 1935 Constitution: Ratified on May 14, 1935, and came into full force and effect on November 15, 1935.
  • 1940 Amendment: The legislature was changed to a bicameral congress, and the term limit of the President was changed to four years with a possibility of being reelected for a second term.
  • 1943 Constitution: Used by the Second Republic with Jose P. Laurel as President after the Japanese nullified the 1935 Constitution.
  • Commonwealth Act No. 733 (1947): Amended the Constitution, granting United States citizens equal rights with Filipino citizens to develop natural resources in the country and operate public utilities.
  • Martial Law (September 23, 1972): A Constitutional Convention was in the process of deliberating on amending or revising the 1935 Constitution.
  • Presidential Decree No. 86, s. 1972: Created citizens assemblies to ratify the newly drafted constitution in place of secret ballots.
  • Proclamation No. 3 (1986): Issued by President Corazon C. Aquino, suspending certain provisions of the 1973 Constitution and promulgating a transitory constitution.
  • Proclamation No. 9, s. 1986: Created a Constitutional Commission tasked with writing a new charter to replace the 1973 Constitution.
  • 1987 Constitution: Ratified on February 2, 1987, and came into full force and effect on February 11, 1987.

Taxation in the Philippines: Its Historical Development

Pre-Colonial Era
  • Buwis: Ancient Filipinos paid taxes called "buwis" to the local chieftain (datu) for protection.
  • Tax Exemption: The local chieftain’s family members were exempt from paying taxes.
Spanish Era
  • Cabezas de Barangay: Native chieftains were responsible for the taxes levied against the people of their districts.
Various Taxes Raised and Collected:
  1. Direct taxes (contribuciones directas), including personal taxes and the income tax
  2. Indirect taxes (contribuciones indirectas), or the customs duties
  3. Monopolies (rentas estancadas), including stamp taxes and the sale of various commodities
  4. Lotteries (loterias)
  5. Public domain (bienes del estado)
  6. Miscellaneous and indeterminate revenues (ingresos eventuales)
Personal Taxes (Las Contribuciones Directas):
  1. Tribute from Natives: Collected from the Philippines' conquest by Legaspi until 1884.
  2. Recognition of Vassalage (Reconocimiento de Vasallaje): Levied from natives who were fully subjugated and living in organized communities under Spanish administration.
  3. The Cedulas Personales: Replaced the tribute in 1884.
  4. The Chinese Poll Tax: Applied to Chinese traders residing in the islands.
Taxation During the American Period
  • American Military Governors (1898-1901): Ruled the country.
  • William H. Taft (1902): The first civil government was established.
  • Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR): Created through the passage of Reorganization Act No. 1189 dated July 2, 1904.
  • BIR Formal Organization: August 1, 1904, under the Secretary of Finance, Henry Ide, with John S. Hord as the first Collector (Commissioner).
Taxation During the Japanese Occupation (1942-1945)
  • BIR and Customs Office Combination: Headed by a Director of Customs and Internal Revenue.
Taxation in the Post-War Era
  • Reestablishment of BIR: July 4, 1946, after the Philippines gained independence.
  • Reorganization: October 1, 1947, by virtue of Executive Order No. 94.
  • Revenue Regulations No. V-2: October 23, 1947, divided the country into 31 inspection units.
  • Second Major Reorganization: January 1, 1951, through the passage of Executive Order No. 392, creating Legal, Assessment, and Collection departments.
  • 1964 Re-division: The Philippines was re-divided into 15 regions and 72 inspection districts.
Under the Marcos Administration
  • Misael Vera as Commissioner (1965): Implemented the