Bernie Cruz to be the acting chief of Department of

Agrarian Reform (DAR), as he signed Cruz’s

appointment paper on Oct. 28, 2021. holds and implements comprehensive and
genuine agrarian reform which actualizes
Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones as equitable land distribution, ownership,
head of the agency’s Foreign- Assisted and Special agricultural productivity, and tenurial security
Projects Office and under Special Order No. 523, for, of and with the tillers of the land towards
series of 2018, acted as the project implementation the improvement of their quality of life.
officer of the DAR official development assistance
(ODA) portfolio.
Vision

The three projects are 1.the Mindanao Sustainable A just, safe and equitable society that upholds
Agrarian and Agriculture Development the rights of tillers to own, control, secure,
(MinSAAD) Project,2. Convergence on Value cultivate and enhance their agricultural lands,
improve their quality of life towards rural
Chain Enhancement for Rural Growth and
development and national industrialization.
Empowerment (Project ConVERGE) and the
3.Italian- Agrarian Reform Communities
Development Support Project (IARCSDP). DAR Logo
Mandate and Functions The logo shows the department's acronym
representing the institution and its role as the lead
To lead in the implementation of the agency in the implementation of the Comprehensive
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
through Land Tenure Improvement (LTI), Agrarian
Justice and Coordinated delivery of essential The sun radiates its light into the field of green
Support Services to client beneficiaries. divided into 12 segments representing the original
12 regions covered by the program. Green stands
 To provide Land Tenure security to landless for fertility and productivity while yellow represents
farmers through land acquisition and hope and a golden harvest of agrarian reform
distribution; leasehold arrangements’ beneficiaries who are the recipients of the services
implementation and other LTI services; provided by department via CARP. Both colors
 To provide legal intervention to Agrarian imply the economic growth and sound rural
Reform Beneficiaries (ARBS) through development can be achieved through agrarian
adjudication of agrarian cases and agrarian reform.
legal assistance;
 To implement, facilitate and coordinate the Darwin and Darla
delivery of support services to ARBs
through Social Infrastructure and Local The Department of Agrarian Reform’s mascots are
Capability Building (SILCAB); Sustainable Darwin and Darla. They are two frontline service
Agribusiness and Rural Enterprise workers of the agency who are tasked to
Development (SARED); and Access communicate the messages of DAR to its farmer-
Facilitation and Enhancement Services beneficiaries and the rest of the Filipinos. They
(AFAES). represent the thousands of employees across the
nation who are of service to the landless farmers.

Mission Statement The couple usually sports a baseball cap,

unbuttoned shirts over long-sleeved tees, and a pair
DAR is the lead government agency that of boots. But they are never seen without a stalk of
rice grains pinned on their ears, a reminder of their
commitment to serve the agrarian reform American Period
beneficiaries.
“Long live America”
Pre-Spanish Period
Significant legislation enacted during the American
“This land is Ours God gave this land to us” Period:

Before the Spaniards came to the Philippines,  Philippine Bill of 1902 – Set the ceilings on
Filipinos lived in villages or barangays ruled by the hectarage of private individuals and
chiefs or datus. The datus comprised the nobility. corporations may acquire: 16 has. for private
Then came the maharlikas (freemen), followed by individuals and 1,024 has. for corporations.
the aliping mamamahay (serfs) and aliping  Land Registration Act of 1902 (Act No.
saguiguilid (slaves). 496) – Provided for a comprehensive
registration of land titles under the Torrens
However, despite the existence of different classes system.
in the social structure, practically everyone had  Public Land Act of 1903 – introduced the
access to the fruits of the soil. Money was unknown, homestead system in the Philippines.
and rice served as the medium of exchange.  Tenancy Act of 1933 (Act No. 4054 and
4113) – regulated relationships between
Spanish Period landowners and tenants of rice (50-50
sharing) and sugar cane lands.
“United we stand, divided we fall”
The Torrens system, which the Americans instituted
When the Spaniards came to the Philippines, the for the registration of lands, did not solve the
concept of encomienda (Royal Land Grants) was problem completely. Either they were not aware of
introduced. This system grants that Encomienderos the law or if they did, they could not pay the survey
must defend his encomienda from external attack, cost and other fees required in applying for a
maintain peace and order within, and support the Torrens title.
missionaries. In turn, the encomiendero acquired the
right to collect tribute from the indios (native). Commonwealth Period

The system, however, degenerated into abuse of “Government for the Filipinos”
power by the encomienderos The tribute soon
became land rents to a few powerful landlords. And President Manuel L. Quezon espoused the "Social
the natives who once cultivated the lands in Justice" program to arrest the increasing social
freedom were transformed into mere share tenants. unrest in Central Luzon.

First Philippine Republic Significant legislation enacted during

Commonwealth Period:
“The yoke has finally broken”
 1935 Constitution – "The promotion of
When the First Philippine Republic was established social justice to ensure the well-being and
in 1899, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo declared in the economic security of all people should be
Malolos Constitution his intention to confiscate the concern of the State"
large estates, especially the so-called Friar lands.  Commonwealth Act No. 178 (An
Amendment to Rice Tenancy Act No. 4045),
However, as the Republic was short-lived, Nov. 13, 1936 – Provided for certain
Aguinaldo’s plan was never implemented. controls in the landlord-tenant relationships
 National Rice and Corn Corporation
(NARIC), 1936 – Established the price of
 rice and corn thereby help the poor tenants  Republic Act No. 34 -- Established the 70-
as well as consumers. 30 sharing arrangements and regulating
 Commonwealth Act. No. 461, 1937 – share-tenancy contracts.
Specified reasons for the dismissal of  Republic Act No. 55 -- Provided for a more
tenants and only with the approval of the effective safeguard against arbitrary
Tenancy Division of the Department of ejectment of tenants.
Justice.
 Rural Program Administration, created Elpidio R. Quirino (1948-1953) enacted the
March 2, 1939 – Provided the purchase and following law:
lease of haciendas and their sale and lease to
the tenants. Executive Order No. 355 issued on October 23,
Commonwealth Act No. 441 enacted on 1950 -- Replaced the National Land Settlement
June 3, 1939 – Created the National Administration with Land Settlement Development
Settlement Administration with a capital Corporation (LASEDECO) which takes over the
stock of P20,000,000. responsibilities of the Agricultural Machinery
Equipment Corporation and the Rice and Corn
Japanese Occupation Production Administration.

“The Era of Hukbalahap” Ramon Magsaysay (1953-1957) enacted the

following laws:
The Second World War II started in Europe in 1939
and in the Pacific in 1941.  Republic Act No. 1160 of 1954 -- Abolished
the LASEDECO and established the
Hukbalahap controlled whole areas of Central National Resettlement and Rehabilitation
Luzon; landlords who supported the Japanese lost Administration (NARRA) to resettle
their lands to peasants while those who supported dissidents and landless farmers. It was
the Huks earned fixed rentals in favor of the tenants. particularly aimed at rebel returnees
providing home lots and farmlands in
Unfortunately, the end of war also signaled the end Palawan and Mindanao.
of gains acquired by the peasants.  Republic Act No. 1199 (Agricultural
Tenancy Act of 1954) -- governed the
Upon the arrival of the Japanese in the Philippines relationship between landowners and tenant
in 1942, peasants and workers organizations grew farmers by organizing share-tenancy and
strength. Many peasants took up arms and identified leasehold system. The law provided the
themselves with the anti-Japanese group, the security of tenure of tenants. It also created
HUKBALAHAP (Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa the Court of Agrarian Relations.
Hapon).  Republic Act No. 1400 (Land Reform Act of
1955) -- Created the Land Tenure
Philippine Republic Administration (LTA) which was
responsible for the acquisition and
“The New Republic” distribution of large tenanted rice and corn
lands over 200 hectares for individuals and
After the establishment of the Philippine 600 hectares for corporations.
Independence in 1946, the problems of land tenure  Republic Act No. 821 (Creation of
remained. These became worst in certain areas. Agricultural Credit Cooperative Financing
Thus the Congress of the Philippines revised the Administration) -- Provided small farmers
tenancy law. and share tenants loans with low interest
rates of six to eight percent.
President Manuel A. Roxas (1946-1948) enacted
the following laws: President Carlos P. Garcia (1957-1961)
Continued the program of President Ramon The Constitution ratified by the Filipino people
Magsaysay. No new legislation passed. during the administration of President Corazon C.
Aquino provides under Section 21 under Article II
President Diosdado P. Macapagal (1961- that “The State shall promote comprehensive rural
1965) enacted the following law: development and agrarian reform.”

Republic Act No. 3844 of August 8, 1963 On June 10, 1988, former President Corazon C.
(Agricultural Land Reform Code) -- Abolished Aquino signed into law Republic Act No. 6657 or
share tenancy, institutionalized leasehold, set otherwise known as the Comprehensive Agrarian
retention limit at 75 hectares, invested rights of Reform Law (CARL). The law became effective on
preemption and redemption for tenant farmers, June 15, 1988.
provided for an administrative machinery for
implementation, institutionalized a judicial system Subsequently, four Presidential issuances were
of agrarian cases, incorporated extension, marketing released in July 1987 after 48 nationwide
and supervised credit system of services of farmer consultations before the actual law was enacted.
beneficiaries.
President Corazon C. Aquino enacted the following
The RA was hailed as one that would emancipate laws:
Filipino farmers from the bondage of tenancy.
 Executive Order No. 228, July 16, 1987 –
President Ferdinand E. Marcos (1965-1986) Declared full ownership to qualified farmer-
beneficiaries covered by PD 27. It also
Proclamation No. 1081 on September 21, 1972 determined the value remaining unvalued
ushered the Period of the New Society. Five days rice and corn lands subject of PD 27 and
after the proclamation of Martial Law, the entire provided for the manner of payment by the
country was proclaimed a land reform area and FBs and mode of compensation to
simultaneously the Agrarian Reform Program was landowners.
decreed.  Executive Order No. 229, July 22, 1987 –
Provided mechanism for the implementation
President Marcos enacted the following laws: of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform
Program (CARP).
 Republic Act No. 6389, (Code of Agrarian  Proclamation No. 131, July 22, 1987 –
Reform) and RA No. 6390 of 1971 -- Instituted the CARP as a major program of
Created the Department of Agrarian Reform the government. It provided for a special
and the Agrarian Reform Special Account fund known as the Agrarian Reform Fund
Fund. It strengthen the position of farmers (ARF), with an initial amount of Php50
and expanded the scope of agrarian reform. billion to cover the estimated cost of the
 Presidential Decree No. 2, September 26, program from 1987-1992.
1972 -- Declared the country under land  Executive Order No. 129-A, July 26, 1987 –
reform program. It enjoined all agencies and streamlined and expanded the power and
offices of the government to extend full operations of the DAR.
cooperation and assistance to the DAR. It  Republic Act No. 6657, June 10, 1988
also activated the Agrarian Reform (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law) –
Coordinating Council. An act which became effective June 15,
 Presidential Decree No. 27, October 21, 1988 and instituted a comprehensive
1972 -- Restricted land reform scope to agrarian reform program to promote social
tenanted rice and corn lands and set the justice and industrialization providing the
retention limit at 7 hectares. mechanism for its implementation and for
other purposes. This law is still the one
President Corazon C. Aquino (1986-1992) being implemented at present.
 Executive Order No. 405, June 14, 1990 –
Vested in the Land Bank of the Philippines
 the responsibility to determine land President Joseph E. Estrada initiated the enactment
valuation and compensation for all lands of the following law:
covered by CARP.
 Executive Order No. 407, June 14, 1990 – Executive Order N0. 151, September 1999
Accelerated the acquisition and distribution (Farmer’s Trust Fund) – Allowed the voluntary
of agricultural lands, pasture lands, consolidation of small farm operation into medium
fishponds, agro-forestry lands and other and large scale integrated enterprise that can access
lands of the public domain suitable for long-term capital.
agriculture.
During his administration, President Estrada
President Fidel V. Ramos (1992-1998) launched the Magkabalikat Para sa Kaunlarang
Agraryo or MAGKASAKA. The DAR forged into
When President Fidel V. Ramos formally took over joint ventures with private investors into agrarian
in 1992, his administration came face to face with sector to make FBs competitive.
publics who have lost confidence in the agrarian
reform program. His administration committed to However, the Estrada Administration was short
the vision “Fairer, faster and more meaningful lived. The masses who put him into office
implementation of the Agrarian Reform Program. demanded for his ouster.

President Fidel V. Ramos enacted the following President Gloria Macapacal-Arroyo (2000-2010)
laws:
The agrarian reform program under the Arroyo
 Republic Act No. 7881, 1995 – Amended administration is anchored on the vision “To make
certain provisions of RA 6657 and exempted the countryside economically viable for the Filipino
fishponds and prawns from the coverage of family by building partnership and promoting social
CARP. equity and new economic opportunities towards
 Republic Act No. 7905, 1995 – lasting peace and sustainable rural development.”
Strengthened the implementation of the
CARP. Land Tenure Improvement - DAR will remain
 Executive Order No. 363, 1997 – Limits the vigorous in implementing land acquisition and
type of lands that may be converted by distribution component of CARP. The DAR will
setting conditions under which limits the improve land tenure system through land
type of lands that may be converted by distribution and leasehold.
setting conditions under which specific
categories of agricultural land are either Provision of Support Services - CARP not only
absolutely non-negotiable for conversion or involves the distribution of lands but also included
highly restricted for conversion. package of support services which includes: credit
 Republic Act No. 8435, 1997 (Agriculture assistance, extension services, irrigation facilities,
and Fisheries Modernization Act AFMA) – roads and bridges, marketing facilities and training
Plugged the legal loopholes in land use and technical support programs.
conversion.
 Republic Act 8532, 1998 (Agrarian Reform Infrastrucre Projects - DAR will transform the
Fund Bill) – Provided an additional Php50 agrarian reform communities (ARCs), an area
billion for CARP and extended its focused and integrated delivery of support services,
implementation for another 10 years. into rural economic zones that will help in the
creation of job opportunities in the countryside.
President Joseph E. Estrada (1998-2000)
KALAHI ARZone - The KALAHI Agrarian
“ERAP PARA SA MAHIRAP’. This was the battle Reform (KAR) Zones were also launched. These
cry that endeared President Joseph Estrada and zones consists of one or more municipalities with
made him very popular during the 1998 presidential concentration of ARC population to achieve greater
election. agro-productivity.
Agrarian Justice - To help clear the backlog of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (2016 – present) 
agrarian cases, DAR will hire more paralegal
officers to support undermanned adjudicatory Under his leadership, the President wants to pursue
boards and introduce quota system to compel an “aggressive” land reform program that would
adjudicators to work faster on agrarian reform help alleviate the life of poor Filipino farmers by
cases. DAR will respect the rights of both farmers prioritizing the provision of support services
and landowners. alongside land distribution.

President Benigno Aquino III (2010-2016) The President directed the DAR to launch the
2nd phase of agrarian reform where landless
President Benigno Aquino III vowed during his farmers would be awarded with undistributed lands
2012 State of the Nation Address that he would under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform
complete before the end of his term the Program (CARP).
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP),
the centerpiece program of the administration of his Duterte plans to place almost all public lands,
mother, President Corazon Aquino. including military reserves, under agrarian reform.

The younger Aquino distributed their family-owned The President also placed 400 hectares of
Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac. Apart from the said agricultural lands in Boracay under CARP.
farm lots, he also promised to complete the
distribution of privately-owned lands of productive Under his administration the DAR created an anti-
agricultural estates in the country that have escaped corruption task force to investigate and handle
the coverage of the program. reports on alleged anomalous activities by officials
and employees of the department.
Under his administration, the Agrarian Reform
Community Connectivity and Economic Support The Department also pursues an “Oplan Zero
Services (ARCCESS) project was created to Backlog” in the resolution of cases in relation to
contribute to the overall goal of rural poverty agrarian justice delivery of the agrarian reform
reduction especially in agrarian reform areas. program to fast-track the implementation of CARP.

Agrarian Production Credit Program (APCP) Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, more
provided credit support for crop production to commonly known as CARP, is an agrarian reform
newly organized and existing agrarian reform law of the Philippines whose legal basis is the
beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) and farmers’ Republic Act No. 6657,[1] otherwise known as the
organizations not qualified to avail themselves of Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL).[2] It
loans under the regular credit windows of banks. is the redistribution of private and public
agricultural lands to help the beneficiaries survive
The legal case monitoring system (LCMS), a web- as small independent farmers, regardless of the
based legal system for recording and monitoring “tenurial” arrangement. Its goals are to provide
various kinds of agrarian cases at the provincial, landowners equality in terms of income and
regional and central offices of the opportunities, empower land owner beneficiaries to
DAR to ensure faster resolution and close have equitable land ownership, enhance agricultural
monitoring of agrarian-related cases, was also production and productivity, provide employment to
launched. more agricultural workers, and put an end to
conflicts regarding land ownership.
Aside from these initiatives, Aquino also enacted
Executive Order No. 26, Series of 2011, to mandate Manuel Quezon – NARICC National Rice and Corn
the Department of Agriculture-Department of Corporation (NARICC) and assigning public
Environment and Natural Resources-Department of defenders to assist peasants in court battles for their
Agrarian Reform Convergence Initiative to develop rights to till the land.  Republic Act No. 34 was
a National Greening Program in cooperation with enacted to establish a 70-30 sharing arrangement
other government agencies. between tenant and landlord. The 70% of the
harvest will go to the person who shouldered the
expenses for planting, harvesting and for the work
animals. Manuel Roxas-

Elpido Quirino-LASEDECO Through Executive

Order No. 355, the Land Settlement Development
Corporation (LASEDECO) was established to
accelerate and expand the peasant resettlement
program of the government. 

Diosdado Macapagal= Father of agrarian reform-

R>A 3844 august 8,1863

Ferdinand Marcos-7 hectares

 What were the five major components of President
Marcos’ Agrarian Reform Program?
Land Tenure Program
Institutional Development
Physical Development
Agricultural Development ; and
Human Resources

Corazon Aquino- CARL RA 6657- June 15,1988

Fidel Ramos- bring back CARP

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo-adopted BAYAN-

ANIHAN

Benigno Aquino-LTI Land tenure Improvement

Program Beneficiaries Development
Agrarian Justice Delivery

What is the work of agrarian reform program

Officer 1?
It shall be responsible for disseminating information
and agrarian reform policies, plans, programs and
projects; and respond to public queries related to the
implementation of the agrarian reform program.
Agrarian Reform means the redistribution of
lands, regardless of crops or fruits produced to
farmers and regular farmworkers who are landless,
irrespective of tenurial arrangement, to include the
totality of factors and support services designed to
lift the economic status of the beneficiaries and all
other ...Jun 10, 1988