PH Agrarian Reform

• "When land rights are secure, the cycle of poverty is broken."
• Rice


  • Plays an essential role in the Philippine economy
  • It is the staple food of Filipinos
  • It is a major source of income for millions of Filipino farmers
• Agrarian reform


  A redistribution of lands, regardless of crops of fruit produced, to farmers and regular farm workers who are landless, irrespective of tenurial arrangement
• Land reform


  An integrated set of measures designed to eliminate obstacles to economic and social development arising out of defects in the agrarian structure
• RA No. 6657 (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law or CARL) took effect on June 15, 1988
• RA No. 6657 was enacted to offer a lawful basis for the implementation of the CARP

  
• RA No. 6657 aims for a more equitable distribution and ownership of land, with due regard to the rights of landowners to just compensation and the ecological needs of the nation
• Provisions of RA No. 6657

  • All alienable and disposable lands of the public domain are devoted to or suitable for agriculture
  • All lands of the public domain in excess of the specific limits as determined by Congress
  • All other lands owned by the government devoted to or suitable for farming
  • All private lands are devoted or suitable for agriculture regardless of the agricultural products raised or that can be thereon
• CARP was introduced through Republic Act (RA) 6657, also known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1998
• CARP is implemented by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)
• CARP included both developmental and redistributive programs
• Coverage of CARP


  • All private and public agricultural lands
  • Tenants and regular farmworkers
• Retention Limit


  • Land ownership of agricultural lands must not exceed 5 hectares (ha)
  • Additional 3 ha are allowed for each heir of at least 15 y/o and actually tilling the land or directly managing it
• Qualifications of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARB)

  • Agricultural lessees and share tenants
  • Regular farmworkers
  • Seasonal farmworkers
  • Other farmworkers
  • Actual tillers/occupants of public lands
  • Collectives/cooperatives of the above beneficiaries
  • Others directly working on the land
• Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARB) must be Filipino citizens, permanent residents of the barangay/municipality where the land is located, at least 15 y/o, and willing, able, and equipped with the aptitude to cultivate and make the land productive
• Laws enacted by President Corazon C. Aquino

  • EO No. 228 - Declared full ownership to qualified farmer-beneficiaries covered by PD 27
  • EO No. 229 - Provided mechanism for the implementation of the CARP
  • Proclamation No. 131 - Instituted the CARP as a major program of the government and provided ARF with Php 50B (1987-1992)
  • EO No. 407 - Accelerated the acquisition and distribution of agricultural lands, pasture lands, fishponds, agro-forestry lands, and other lands of the public domain suitable for agriculture

  
• RA No. 7905 (Strengthen the Implementation of CARP) was enacted during President Fidel Ramos' administration

  
• RA No. 7905


  • Revived public trust in the Agrarian Reform Program
  • Made the program one of the priorities of his administration
  • Limited land conversion scheme by making non-negotiable for conversion
• Laws enacted by President Fidel Ramos


  • RA 8435 (Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act) - Plugged the legal loopholes in land use conversion
  • RA 8532 (Agrarian Reform Fund Bill) - Provided an additional Php50 billion for CARP and extended its implementation for another 10 years
• MAGSASAKA (Magkabalikat Para sa Kaunlarang Agraryo)

  Aims to encourage investors to bring investment into the countryside and to enhance the income of the farmers through joint venture schemes and contract growing schemes
• During Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's administration, the DAR was renamed twice: (1) Department of Land Reform and (2) Department of Agrarian Reform
• During Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's administration, the KARZONEs (Kapit Bisig sa Kahirapan Agrarian Reform Zones) were introduced as a program strategy of the DAR in CARP implementation

  
• During Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's administration, the BAYAN-ANIHAN was adopted as a means to unite people to work together for the successful implementation of agrarian reform
• Three Major Components/Programs of the Benigno Aquino III Administration

  • Land Tenure Improvement (LTI)
  • Program Beneficiaries Development (PBD)
  • Agrarian Justice Delivery (AJD)
• ARCCESS (Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services)


  Contribute to the overall goal of rural poverty reduction especially in agrarian reform areas
• During Rodrigo Duterte's administration, Oplan Zero Backlog was implemented to fast-track the resolution of cases in relation to agrarian justice delivery of the agrarian reform program
• During Rodrigo Duterte's administration, 400 hectares of agricultural lands in Boracay were placed under CARP
• During Rodrigo Duterte's administration, an anti-corruption task force was created to investigate and handle reports on alleged anomalous activities by officials and employees of the Department of Agrarian Reform
• The current administration aims to boost local agricultural production through consolidation, modernization, mechanization, and improvement of value chains, augmented by timely and calibrated importation
• The current administration's methods for achieving food security are now more guided by science and the balance of nature, so that production is both sustainable and responsible, benefiting both this and future generations