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Part II : Simplified Legislative History of Philippine Land reform
Commonwealth Period. Several laws were enacted to protect the working class both in industry and
agriculture in order to give substance and meaning of a principle on social justice in the 1935 Constitution which states that, “The promotion of social justice to insure the well-being and economic security of all people should be the concern of the state”. Among these legislations are: (a) Commonwealth Act No. 103, which created the Court of Industrial Relations which originally also referred to agricultural workers. (b) Commonwealth Act No. 213, which defined and regulated legitimate labor organizations, and (c) Commonwealth Acts No. 178, 461, and 608, which gave more protection to agricultural tenants under the Rice, share Tenancy Act.
Japanese Occupation. From late 1941 to around 1945 Japanese occupied the Philippines. It has a tremendous impact on the agrarian issue. Huks headed by Luis Taruc rise against the Japanese and took up also the cause of the peasants against the landlords whom often collaborated with the Japanese to maintain their dominant position.
President Manuel Roxas regime. (a) In 1946, President Manuel Roxas proclaimed the Rice Share Tenancy Act of 1933 effective throughout the country, but problems of land tenure persisted and in some areas they became worse. (b) Remedial measures were enacted like (1) R.A. NO. 34 of 1946. It provides for a 70:30 crop sharing arrangement and regulates share tenancy contracts. (2) R.A. No. 1160 of 1954. It established the National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration to resettle landless dissidents and other landless farmers.
President Ramon Magsaysay’s regime. During this regime an (a) Agricultural Tenancy Act of 1954 ( R.A. No. 1199) as amended by R.A. No. 2263. This act allows the division of crops on certain basis. The law attacks only the symptoms of the tenancy problem which is the distribution of the agricultural product. The root of the problem on tenurial system was neglected. (b) Land Reform Act of 1955 (R.A. No. 1400). This act created an administrative agency, the Land Tenure Administration. Programs visualized by the Land Tenure Administration are: (1) reduction of large landholdings; (2) consolidation of smaller uneconomic holdings into plots of adequate size; (3) resettlement of tenants in areas of abundant land; (4) provision of adequate credit facilities for the smaller landholders; (5) reduction of rentals and interest rates in order to provide security for those who would remain tenants; (6) securing of land titles for small farm holders; (7) reform of the property tax structure. ***
Published: February 07, 2008
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