Wendell P.

Masuhay

BSICT 2A

AGRARIAN REFORM POLICIES

REACTION PAPER

INTRODUCTION

Agrarian reform can refer to either a government-led or sponsored redistribution of

Agricultural land (see land reform) or a broader reorientation of the country’s agrarian system,

Which frequently includes land reform initiatives.

II. THE ISSUE IN ITSELF

More than 60 countries have passed agricultural reform legislation since WWII. While

Some of these have been successfully implemented, many others have only been partially Adopted and
have had little impact on the unequal distribution of land ownership. Advocates And opponents of
agrarian reform have passed positive and negative judgments on the impact of Agrarian reforms on the
social and economic situation in their respective countries for decades, The former to demonstrate that
their policies were correct and the latter to demonstrate the Polar opposite. Politicians, local leaders,
administrators, and social scientists need objective and Reliable studies and accurate information about
the potential and actual impacts, as well as the Benefits and drawbacks, of programs as drastic and
contentious as agrarian reforms in order to Formulate an appropriate policy for the enhancement of the
rural population in developing Countries

Republic Act No. 6657 (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law), enacted on June 10, 1988, Became
effective on June 15, 1988, and established a comprehensive agrarian reform program To promote social
justice and industrialization, as well as a system for its execution. The following laws were enacted by
President Manuel A. Roxas (1946-1948):

 The 70-30 sharing system was established by Republic Act No. 34, which also regulated sharetenancy
contracts.A more effective safeguard against arbitrary eviction of renters was provided

By Republic Act No. 55.

The following law was enacted by Elpidio R. Quirino (1948-1953): On October 23, 1950, Executive Order
No. 355 was issued, which replaced the National Land Settlement Administration with the Land
Settlement Development Corporation (LASEDECO), Which took over the Agricultural Machinery
Equipment Corporation and the Rice and Corn Production Administration’s responsibilities.
Ramon Magsaysay (1953-1957) enacted the following laws: Republic Act No. 1160 of 1954 – Abolished
the LASEDECO and established the National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration (NARRA) to
resettle dissidents and landless Farmers. It was particularly aimed at rebel returnees providing home lots
and farmlands in Palawan and Mindanao.

Republic Act No. 1199 (Agricultural Tenancy Act of 1954) – governed the relationship Between
landowners and tenant farmers by organizing share- tenancy and leasehold system. The law provided
the security of tenure of tenants. It also created the Court of Agrarian Relations.

Republic Act No. 1400 (Land Reform Act of 1955) – Created the Land Tenure Administration (LTA) which
was responsible for the 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 the program of President Ramon Magsaysay.
No new legislation passed.

President Diosdado P. Macapagal (1961-1965) enacted the following law: Agricultural Land Reform
Code, Republic Act No. 3844 of August 8, 1963 — Abolished share Tenancy, institutionalized leasehold,
set a retention limit of 75 hectares, invested rights of Preemption and redemption for tenant farmers,
established an administrative machinery for Implementation, institutionalized an agrarian judicial
system, incorporated extension, marketing, and Supervised credit system of services for farmer
beneficiaries. The RA was welcomed as a law that would free Filipino farmers from tenancy Bonds.

President Ferdinand E. Marcos (1965-1986)

The New Society Period began on September 21, 1972, with Proclamation No. 1081. The entire Country
was proclaimed a land reform region five days after Martial Law was declared, and the Agrarian Reform
Program was decreed at the same time.

The following legislation were enacted by President Marcos: The Department of Agrarian Reform and
the Agrarian Reform Special Account Fund were established By Republic Act No. 6389 (Code of Agrarian
Reform) and Republic Act No. 6390 (Code of Agrarian Reform) of 1971. It strengthened farmers’
positions and broadened the scope of agrarian reform.

The country was declared under a land reform program by Presidential Decree No. 2 on September 26,
1972. It ordered all government agencies and offices to provide the DAR with full cooperation And
assistance. The Agrarian Reform Coordinating Council was also activated. Land reform was limited to
tenanted rice and corn lands by Presidential Decree No. 27, signed on October 21, 1972, and the
retention limit was established at 7 hectares.

President Corazon C. Aquino (1986-1992)

“The State shall encourage comprehensive rural development and agrarian reform,” says Section 21 Of
Article II of the Constitution, which was ratified by the Filipino people during President Corazon C.

Aquino’s administration.
Former President Corazon C. Aquino signed Republic Act No. 6657, often known as the Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Law, into law on June 10, 1988. (CARL). On June 15, 1988, the law Went into effect.
Following that, in July 1987, four Presidential issuances were issued following 48 nationwide
Consultations before the actual law was approved.

The following legislation were enacted by President Corazon C. Aquino: Executive Order No. 228, signed
on July 16, 1987, gave qualifying farmer-beneficiaries protected by PD 27 complete ownership. It also
defined the valuation of the remaining unvalued rice and maize Lands subject to PD 27, as well as the
manner in which the FBs would be paid and how landowners Would be compensated.

Executive Order No. 229, signed on July 22, 1987, established a structure for carrying out the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). Proclamation No. 131, signed on July 22, 1987,
established the CARP as a key government program. It established the Agrarian Reform Resource (ARF),
which had a starting fund of Php50 billion to Cover the expected cost of the program from 1987 to 1992.
Executive Order No. 129-A, signed on July 26, 1987, streamlined and increased the DAR’s authority

And activities.

Republic Act No. 6657 (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law), enacted on June 10, 1988, became
Effective on June 15, 1988, and established a comprehensive agrarian reform program to promote Social
justice and industrialization, as well as a system for its execution. This is the law that is now Being
implemented. Executive Order No. 405, dated June 14, 1990, vested the authority for determining land
valuation And compensation for all lands covered by CARP in the Land Bank of the Philippines. Executive
Order No. 407, enacted on June 14, 1990, expedited the acquisition and distribution of Agricultural
lands, pasture areas, fishponds, agroforestry lands, and other public domain lands suited For agriculture.

President Fidel V. Ramos (1992-1998)

When President Fidel V. Ramos took office in 1992, he faced a population that had lost faith in the
Agrarian reform initiative. “Fairer, speedier, and more meaningful execution of the Agrarian Reform
Program,” his administration pledged.

The following legislation were enacted by President Fidel V. Ramos: Fishponds and prawns were exempt
from CARP coverage via Republic Act No. 7881, which amended

Certain aspects of RA 6657.

The CARP was strengthened by Republic Act No. 7905, which was enacted in 1995. Executive Order No.
363, 1997 — Limits the kind of lands that can be converted by establishing Circumstances under which
specified categories of agricultural property are either non-negotiable or Extremely restricted for
conversion.

AFMA (Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act) (Republic Act No. 8435, 1997) – Closed legal Gaps in
land use conversion. CARP was given an additional Php50 billion and its execution was prolonged for
another ten years via Republic Act 8532, 1998 (Agrarian Reform Fund Bill).

President Joseph E. Estrada (1998-2000)

President Joseph E. Estrada pushed for the passage of the following legislation: N0. Executive Order 151,
September 1999 (Farmer’s Trust Fund) – Permitted the voluntary Consolidation of small agricultural
operations into medium and large size integrated enterprises with Long-term finance access.

President Estrada established the Magkabalikat para sa Kaunlarang Agraryo, or MAGKASAKA, during His
presidency. To make FBs competitive, the DAR formed joint ventures with private investors in the
Agriculture sector. The Estrada Administration, on the other hand, was only in power for a short time.
His removal was Sought by the people who elected him.

President Gloria Macapacal-Arroyo (2000-2010)

The Arroyo administration’s agricultural reform policy is guided by the idea of “making the Countryside
economically viable for the Filipino family by fostering partnerships and promoting social Fairness and
new economic opportunities in the pursuit of lasting peace and sustainable rural Development.”

Land Tenure Improvement – DAR will continue to push forward with the CARP’s land acquisition and
Distribution component. Through land distribution and leasing, the DAR will strengthen the land Tenure
system. Provision of Support Services – CARP provides a package of support services, including credit
Assistance, extension services, irrigation facilities, roads and bridges, marketing facilities, and
trainingand technical support programs, in addition to land distribution.

DAR will turn agrarian reform communities (ARCs), which are areas focused on the integrated Delivery
of support services, into rural economic zones that will aid in the creation of rural job Prospects. The
KALAHI Agrarian Reform (KAR) Zones have also been established. These zones are made up of One or
more municipalities with a high concentration of ARC residents in order to boost agroproductivity. DAR
will hire more paralegal officers to support understaffed adjudicatory boards and use a quota System to
compel adjudicators to work quicker on agrarian reform cases to help clear the backlog of Agrarian
cases. Farmers’ and landowners’ rights will be respected by DAR.

President Benigno Aquino III (2010-2016)

President Benigno Aquino III promised during his 2012 State of the Nation Address that he will finish The
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Policy (CARP), the cornerstone program of his mother, President
Corazon Aquino’s administration, by the conclusion of his term.

In Tarlac, the younger Aquino distributed their family’s Hacienda Luisita. Aside from the aforementioned
farm lots, he committed to finish the distribution of privately owned lands of Productive agricultural
estates throughout the country that had escaped the program’s coverage.

The Agricultural Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services (ARCCESS) project Was
established during his presidency to help achieve the overarching goal of rural poverty Reduction,
particularly in agrarian reform areas. The Agrarian Production Credit Program (APCP) provided credit
support for crop production to newly Created and existing agrarian reform beneficiary organizations
(ARBOs) and farmers’ organizations That were not eligible for loans through traditional bank credit
windows. The legal case monitoring system (LCMS) was also launched, which is a web-based legal
system for Registering and monitoring various types of agrarian cases at the DAR’s provincial, regional,
and Central offices to enable faster resolution and careful monitoring of agrarian-related matters.
Aquino also signed Executive Order No. 26, Series of 2011, mandating the development of a National
Greening Program in collaboration with other government agencies by the Department of Agriculture-
Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Department of Agrarian Reform Convergence
Initiative.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (2016 – present) Under his leadership, the President plans to undertake a
“aggressive” land reform program that Prioritizes the provision of support services with land distribution
to benefit poor Filipino farmers. Under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, the President
authorized the DAR to begin the Second phase of agrarian reform, in which landless farmers would be
allocated undistributed lands (CARP).

Duterte intends to agrarian reform practically all public lands, including military reserves. In Boracay, the
President also put 400 hectares of agricultural land under CARP. Under his leadership, the DAR
established an anti-corruption task force to investigate and manage Accusations of alleged irregular
activity by agency officials and workers. To expedite the implementation of CARP, the Department also
pursues a “Oplan Zero Backlog” in the Determination of cases relating to agricultural justice delivery of
the agrarian reform program. SOURCE:
https://www.dar.gov.ph/about-us/agrarian-reform-history/#philippine

III. MY STAND/ REACTION/ SOLUTION.

A. POSITIVE STAND

The bright side of this problem, in my opinion, is that there are numerous laws in place To ensure that
our farmers are treated fairly, and that we all have the right to meet their needs.

B. NEGATIVE STAND

The bad side of this is that even if there are so many laws for the agrarian, they have no Rights to
receive what they need and want, and even though the agrarian’s budget is low, why should The
farmers be looked down on because of their work? Without them, we would have no food to Eat.

C. SOLUTION

The best solution to the problem, in my opinion, is to raise the salary and to teach People to respect and
buy local products in order to support the farmers. Let’s give the farmers what They deserve, including
the land, if they are truly the land, but with a law so that there are proper Ways to discuss it.