Philippine Agrarian Reform Policies

Agrarian Reform Policies

• Agrarian reform is a complex and often controversial program, usually facing opposition from vested interests.
• The problem is deeply rooted in history, being a centuries-old issue in the Philippines.
• Philippine governments have implemented agrarian reform programs over the past eight or nine decades.
• There's a significant gap between the declared objectives of agrarian reforms and their actual implementation.
• Implementation has been slow, partly due to a lack of political will.
• While land redistribution has occurred, progress remains slow, despite President Duterte's efforts and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
• The agrarian issue is a significant social issue in Philippine society, rooted in historical land disputes.

Agrarian Reform History (16th-19th Century)

• Land ownership in the 16th-19th centuries was characterized by Spanish colonial policies.
• The King of Spain owned the land, with Filipinos paying tributes and receiving land allotments.
• The system included the encomienda system, where some land was given to religious orders or encomenderos.
• This system led to land disputes and peasant unrest, which are considered a primary reason for past Philippine revolts.
• The Philippine Revolutionary government under Aguinaldo declared the landed estates, including friar lands, as government property intended for redistribution, but this was not fully realized.

Agrarian Reform under Americans

• U.S. colonial policy introduced land reforms like the Torrens system to clarify land ownership.
• The Public Land Act of 1903 introduced homestead programs, allowing landless individuals to obtain farm plots.
• The Act aimed at addressing the absence of titles and providing accurate land surveys, which were problematic.
• The Act still suffered from some land-related problems like landlessness.
• There were varying issues, with limitations on the size of landholdings and the inability of some farmers to access land.

Agrarian Reform Post-WWII

• The Marcos administration implemented Presidential Decree 27 (PD 27).
• PD 27 aimed to redistribute agricultural lands, but encountered issues like land ownership disputes and resistance from the landed elite.
• Pres. Aquino's administrative actions involved creating the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
• The CARP, under President Corazon Aquino's administration and subsequent administrations, broadened the scope of land reform programs.
• Programs were established to streamline and enhance the processes and distribution of agricultural lands, such as the establishment of the Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services (ARCCESS) program.
• The program was intended to establish an agricultural estate that would ensure economic viability for families, while promoting social justice and industrialization.

President Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph E. Estrada, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Benigno Aquino III, & Duterte

• Specific events and programs related to agrarian reform under each administration were detailed in the original text.
• Each administration introduced reforms and regulations to improve the situation concerning agricultural land.

Information about CARP

• CARP's intentions include redistribution of public and private land to farmworkers.
• It involves principles of social justice, equitable distribution, land ownership, and agricultural land productivity.
• Key aspects include the granting of land ownership, specific conditions (for example, stock distribution options), lease arrangements, and regulations on land sale.
• Various extensions and revisions of the original law regarding CARP can be identified in the original text.

This quiz explores the complex history and policies of agrarian reform in the Philippines, focusing on the challenges of implementation and the socio-political landscape. It examines historical land ownership from the 16th to the 19th century and how colonial policies have shaped current issues. Test your knowledge on the key developments and significant figures in the agrarian reform movement.