Law was gradually utilized as an instrument to achieve socio -economic-political goals. With particular reference to our laws on agrarian reform, these statutes, like others laws, draw life from the constitution, which expressly obliges the State to promote social justice, to guarantee the enjoyment by the people of a decent standard of living. The provisions of the Constitution relevant to agrarian reform to provide sufficiently broad authority for the State to vigorously pursue an intensive and extensive reform program, which could drastically change our economic, social, and political structure.
President Diosdado Macapagal’s regime. R.A. No. 3844. This act was known as Agricultural Land Reform Code, which was enacted on August 8, 1963. It abolished share tenancy and the agricultural leasehold system took its place. It marks also the movement towards eventual ownership of the land by its tillers. R.A. 6389 was approved on September 10, 1971 and it amended R.A. No. 3844 (not the entire law). It changed the title of R.A. No. 3844, Agricultural Land Reform Code to Code of Agrarian Reform of the Philippines and the expanded land reform program was renamed “Agrarian Reform Program”. R.A. 6389 declares that share relationship is contrary to public policy.
President Ferdinand E. Marcos regime. The Tenants emancipation Decree, P. D. No. 27, as amended was promulgated on October 21, 1972. It superseded R.A. No. 3844. It was a remedial measure for the small farmers. The goal of the decree is to emancipate the tenants from the bondage of the soil. This covers only tenanted rice and corn lands. There is no more leasehold in tenanted rice and corn lands. It gave chance to the tenants to own the land he tills. Tillers shall be deemed owner of a portion constituting a family size farm of five (5) hectares if not irrigated; (3) hectares if irrigated. Lands transferred to Tenant farmers under the decree will revert to the government and not to the landowner in cases where the tenant abandons his tillage or refuses to take advantage of his right under the law. The tenant in the fifteen (15) annual amortization shall pay including the interest rate of six (6%) per annum the total cost of the land. The landowner may retain not more than seven (7) hectares. If the landowner does not personally till his land it is to be farmed by others on leasehold arrangement. The decree does not apply to lands owned by the government-owned corporations. Under P.D. No. 27, the farmer-tenant is not yet the owner in the true sense until an Emancipation Patent is issued to him. The decree impliedly repealed the provisions of the Code of Agrarian Reforms on pre-emption in so far as rice and corn lands above seven (7) hectares are concerned. Operation Land Transfer covers the excess areas. Since November,1972 the Department of Agrarian Reform has been implementing P.D. No. 27 through a two-prolonged approach:
(1) Operation Land Transfer (OLT), - transfers ownership of landholding above seven (7) hectares from the owner to the tenant; (2) Operation Land Leasehold (OL)- covers seven (7) hectares and below. Formalizes leasehold relations between tenant and landowners, with the tenant paying fixed rental for the use of the land whose ownership the land owner retains.
President Corazon Aquino’s regime. On July 22, 1987, Presidential Proclamation No. 131 instituted Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and Executive Order No. 229 its companion measures provide the mechanics of the implementation of the program. Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988 now governs the program. R.A. 6657 wa
More abstracts about the Part III : Simplified Legislative History of Philippine Land reform