Agrarian Reform in the Philippines PDF

AGRARIAN REFORM LAW The Agrarian Reform Law of the Philippines primarily refers to Republic Act No. 6657, also known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) of 1988. This law aimed to promote social justice and industrialization by redistributing agricultural lands to landless farmers an...

AGRARIAN REFORM LAW The Agrarian Reform Law of the Philippines primarily refers to Republic Act No. 6657, also known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) of 1988. This law aimed to promote social justice and industrialization by redistributing agricultural lands to landless farmers and farmworkers. It is one of the most significant efforts in Philippine history to address the country's long-standing issue of unequal land ownership, which was a source of social unrest.  2. Comprehensive Agrarian Reform 1. Objective Program (CARP) The law created the Comprehensive Agrarian The law's primary goal is to promote Reform Program (CARP), which mandated the equitable land distribution, boost agricultural productivity, and empower redistribution of private and public agricultural landless farmers by allowing them to lands to landless farmers, covering all own land. agricultural land regardless of crops grown. 1 4. Land Acquisition and Distribution 3. Coverage The government, through the It includes both private and public Department of Agrarian Reform agricultural lands, regardless of (DAR), acquired land from private the type of crops. Estates over a landowners, compensating them and certain size were subject to then distributing it to qualified redistribution, but small beneficiaries (tenant farmers and landholdings and lands used for farmworkers). Landowners were paid personal purposes were either in cash or bonds. exempted. 2 5. Landowner Compensation 6. Support Services Landowners were compensated based on the land’s value, productivity, and history of ownership. This system attempted to Apart from land redistribution, the law also aimed to provide balance the interests of both landowners support services such as credit facilities, infrastructure, and and tenants. technical assistance to beneficiaries, helping them become more productive and self-reliant.  7. Amendments and Extensions Republic Act No. 9700 (CARP Extension with Reforms, CARPER) This was enacted in 2009 to extend CARP for another five years and introduce more reforms. The program officially ended in 2014, but land distribution continues for lands that were not covered by the original deadline. 8. Challenges: Landowner resistance Many large landowners resisted the redistribution process, often leading to legal disputes.Beneficiary support: Insufficient support services (such as capital, technology, and infrastructure) for new landowners hampered productivity.Slow pace of distribution: The bureaucratic processes and legal battles slowed down land distribution efforts.  Feudal society in the Philippines - was characterized by a system where the social, economic, and political power was concentrated in the hands of a few landed elites. - These elites controlled vast tracts of land, while the majority of the population, mainly peasants and tenant farmers, worked on this land under often oppressive conditions. Land Ownership Concentration Landlords and Hacienderos Large estates, known as haciendas, were owned by wealthy families (hacienderos) or by the church and religious orders. These landowners had almost complete control over the land and the people who worked on it.Landless Peasants: The vast majority of the rural population, especially tenant farmers, did not own the land they worked on. They were often at the mercy of the landowners for access to land and resources. 5 2. Tenancy and Sharecropping System Share Tenancy Most peasants worked the land under a share tenancy system, where they were required to give a Debt Dependency large portion of their harvest (typically 50% or more) to the landlord in exchange for the right to cultivate the land. Many tenants became trapped in cycles of debt due to loans from landlords or merchants, often used to cover farming expenses. This indebtedness kept tenants economically Absence of Rights dependent on their landlords. Tenants had little security and were subject to arbitrary eviction or rent increases. Landlords often controlled the terms of tenancy, which could be exploitative and unjust.  Paternalism and Patronage The relationship between landowners and tenants was often characterized by a patron- client dynamic. Landowners would provide certain benefits, such as loans or protection, in exchange for loyalty and subservience from the tenants. 3. Patron-Client Relationships Social Control These relationships allowed landowners to maintain political and social control over rural communities. Tenants were often expected to provide personal services, loyalty, and votes during elections in exchange for continued access to land and resources.  4. Political Power of the Landed Elite Economic and Political Influence The landed elite were not just economic leaders but also held considerable political power, often controlling local politics and even national affairs. They were influential in shaping laws and policies to protect their interests. Caciquism This refers to the system where local landlords (caciques) had both economic and political dominance in rural areas, controlling the local population, justice systems, and even elections.  5. Exploitation and Inequality: Social Stratification Exploitation of Labor Society was highly stratified, with a clear division between the wealthy landowning elite and the poor, landless peasants. This inequality The feudal system was marked by the persisted for generations, with little social exploitation of peasant labor. Tenants mobility. were often subjected to harsh working conditions and received little reward for their labor, while landlords accumulated wealth and power. 6. Resistance and Peasant Revolts Calls for Agrarian Reform Rural discontent eventually fueled demands for agrarian reform, which aimed to redistribute Peasant Uprisings land and address the long-standing inequality in land ownership. The concentration of land ownership and exploitation of peasants led to various revolts and resistance movements throughout Philippine history. These included the Dagohoy Rebellion in Bohol, the Palaris Revolt in Pangasinan, and the Hukbalahap Rebellion in Central Luzon during and after World War II 7. Role of the Spanish Colonial Government and Religious Orders Friar Lands During the Spanish colonial period, large tracts of land were owned by the Catholic Church, especially the friar Colonial Administration orders (Dominicans, Augustinians, etc.). These friar lands were among the most The Spanish colonial government upheld the fertile and were worked by tenant interests of the landowning class and the farmers. church, perpetuating the feudal system through laws and policies that favored landowners over tenants.  8. Limited Agrarian Reform Even after the Spanish colonial era, the feudal structure of land ownership persisted. Efforts to redistribute land, such as under American colonial rule and later administrations, were often met with resistance from the landed elite and were only partially successful. The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) was one of the more recent attempts to address these inequalities, but challenges remain.  Homestead Torrens Law (Robert Torrens) Public Land Act (Commonwealth Act No. 141), - is a policy that allows qualified individuals (Filipino citizens) to give them ownership of a - a method of land registration that provides plot of land after demonstrating their ability to a certificate of title to landowners. cultivate 24 hectares or less for five years. - adopted by the Philippines under Act No. - It aimed to encourage the settlement and 496 (Land Registration Act) in 1903. development of sparsely populated or - Under this system, the government underdeveloped agricultural areas. guarantees the authenticity of the land title, making it conclusive against all claims except those of the state. It is a crucial system in providing legal certainty and protection to landowners CADT (Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title) 4. CADC (Certificate of Ancestral Domain Claim) - is a legal document awarded to indigenous cultural communities or indigenous peoples (ICCs/IPs) in the Philippines under the - was a precursor to the CADT. It was issued by Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA) of the Department of Environment and Natural 1997. Resources (DENR) before the passage of - It recognizes the rights of ICCs/IPs over their IPRA. ancestral domains, which they have occupied - CADCs were certificates acknowledging the and used for generations. ancestral claims of indigenous peoples over - This includes rights to manage, control, and their lands and resources, but they did not develop the land according to their traditions grant full ownership rights. and customs. - After IPRA was enacted in 1997, CADCs could - CADTs cover large tracts of land that be converted into CADTs, giving the indigenous groups claim as their ancestral claimants more secure rights over their domain, including forests, agricultural lands, ancestral domains. and waters within their domain.  Magsaysay Marcos initiated reforms to address rural through PD 27, introduced more far- unrest, focusing on tenant rights and reaching reforms, but they were land distribution in underdeveloped criticized for benefiting select groups areas. His policies were foundational and being incomplete. His reforms laid but limited in reach. the groundwork for CARP, which would later be implemented under subsequent administrations.  Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP Corazon Aquino - Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) - CARP (Republic Act No. 6657) was signed into law on June 10, 1988, under President Corazon Aquino.CLOA is the legal document issued to beneficiaries of agrarian reform under CARP, which certifies the award of agricultural land to qualified farmers. - The CLOA grants farmer-beneficiaries ownership of the land they till, although the land is subject to certain conditions and restrictions, such as a prohibition on selling or transferring the land for a certain period (usually 10 years).  Guten Tag Alles Gut? THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION