Social, Political, Economic Issues in Philippine History

Social, Political, Economic and Critical Issues in Philippine History - Learning Objectives

• Students should be able to communicate matters related to the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Laws, the Philippine Constitution, and Taxation.
• Students should understand the underlying purpose and coverage of relevant laws.
• Students should evaluate present situations in light of past events and recommend solutions based on an understanding of root causes.
• Students should anticipate future scenarios.
• Students should demonstrate the ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.

Agrarian Law

• "Agrarian reform" involves land redistribution to farmers and regular farmworkers, including services to improve their economic status.
• It covers a broader context, including profit sharing, labor management, and stock distribution.
• "Agrarian" originates from the Latin word "ager" meaning "field".
• "Reform" indicates a need for correction or improvement in land ownership and usage.
• Agrarian law regulates relationships between landowners, tenants, lessees, and agricultural workers.

Pre-Spanish Era

• Filipinos engaged in hunting, fishing, and cultivation (slash-and-burn method/kaingin system).
• Rice terraces were present in some areas.
• Social organization was based on extended kinship groups (barangay).
• Leadership was typically held by a datu or chieftain.
• Social structure had three broad classes: datu, freeholders, and dependents (sharecroppers/debt peons/war captives).
• Marriage was generally stable but divorce was sometimes acceptable.

Social Classes

• Society was divided into three primary classes: nobles(datu, families), freemen, and dependents (aliping).
• Early Filipinos practiced diverse indigenous religions (mixture of monotheism and polytheism).
• Religious practice played significant roles in social structures, economic activities, and daily life.
• Societies had variations in religious practices.

Spanish Period

• The encomienda system (royal land grants) was introduced where Spanish encomenderos were responsible for maintaining peace, enforcing order, supporting missionaries, and collecting tribute from natives.
• Land tenancy was governed by the Civil Code, specifically provisions for rural leases.
• Native families were landholders, not landowners.
• The lands assigned to them were owned by Spanish King.
• Natives paid tributes to Spanish authorities in the form of agricultural products.
• Tribute eventually transformed into land rents.
• Land registration laws led to displacement of peasant families.

American Regime

• Significant legislations included the 1902 Phillipine Bill (land limitations), 1903 Public Land Act (homestead),1933 Tenancy Act (landlord-tenant), and the 1935 Constitution (Social Justice).
• The Torrens System was implemented for land registration.

Commonwealth Period

• The social unrest in Central Luzon prompted the "Social Justice" program (President Manuel L. Quezon).
• 1935 Constitution emphasized the State's responsibility for social justice.

Controls in Landlord-Tenant Relationships

• Significant government controls emerged in tenant-landowner relations, setting price controls, specifying reasons for dismissal and approving tenancy changes.

Japanese Occupation

• Japanese lost land, peasants took over, established workers and peasant organizations.

Philippine Republic

• Independent Philippines (1946), land tenure problems persisted.
• Presidential administrations (Roxas, Quirino, Magsaysay, Garcia, Macapagal) enacted various laws and regulations dealing with landholdings.

President Ferdinand E. Marcos

• Presidential Decree No. 2 (Sept. 1972) declared the country under land reform, established the Agrarian Reform Coordinating Council.
• Presidential Decree No. 27 (Oct. 1972) focused on tenanted rice and corn lands, setting retention limits (7 hectares).

President Corazon C. Aquino

• The 1987 Constitution and RA 6657 (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law) in 1988 aimed to promote comprehensive rural development and agrarian reform.

President Fidel V. Ramos

• RA 7881 (1995) exempted certain lands (fishponds/prawns) from CARP coverage.
• RA 7905 (1995) strengthened CARP implementation.

President Joseph E. Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

• Estrada promoted a "Fairer, Faster, More Meaningful" agrarian reform.
• Arroyo continued land reform measures with focus on supporting services, land tenure, infrastructure, and distribution.

President Benigno Aquino III

• Aquino aimed to complete CARP, distribute family lands in Tarlac, and cover previously excluded agricultural lands within the program.
• Launched the Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services (ARCCESS) program to address rural poverty.
• Legal Case Monitoring System was created to ensure efficient resolution of agrarian-related cases.

Duterte Administration (Recent)**

• Duterte enacted initiatives, such as anti-corruption measures and the "Oplan Zero Backlog" to address agrarian justice delivery.

This quiz explores significant social, political, and economic issues in Philippine history, focusing on Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Laws and related subjects. Students will be assessed on their understanding of laws, historical contexts, and their implications for future developments. Engage with critical evaluations and teamwork skills in this comprehensive study.