Agrarian Reforms and Cooperatives

Development of land reform

Pre-Spanish time- feudal system, Serfs tilled the lands of their masters Slaves and Serfs got their crop share from their masters or lords Feudalism became more extensive during the Spanish period Large tract of land called encomiendas were granted to Spanish soldiers and officials who had done outstanding services to the crown The landlord were supposed to protect the general welfare of the people in their encomeindas but they exploited them instead Free land titles were issued to the poor farmers but it was written in Spanish so the poor farmers could not understand and therefore did not apply As a result the actual tillers of the land were driven out and others were force to become tenants of the big landlords. During the American regime some measures were undertaken to improve land tenure such as the purchase of friar lands distribution, institution of homesteads (24 hectares for every family), establishment of agricultural colonies and the establishment of torren system of land registration President Quezon,Roxas Magsaysay introduced their respective programs to uplift the miserable conditions of the tenants In 1963 President Diosdado Macapagal (son of sharecroppers) introduced the first land reform program However in 1972 a more aggressive agrarian reform has been implemented under the Marcos administration provided that Tenancy in all rice and corn lands throughout the country should be abolished

Philippine Agrarian Reform Program It is a package of services extended to the farmers in the form of credit, infrastructure, farm extension, legal assistance, electrification, and the development of rural institutions. The program is envisioned to uplift the farmers from poverty, ignorance and stagnation and to make them productive, responsible and dignified, and progressive partners in nation-building. The major components are: Land tenure improvement Compact farming Cooperative farming Agro-industrial estate Land consolidation Institutional development Samahang nayon(cooperative association) Kilusang bayan (cooperatives) Farmers associations Financial institutions

Physical development Infrastructure Land distribution Resettlement Agricultural development Farm management services Green revolution Crop diversification Home management Youth participation Human resources development Personnel development (pre-service and in service training) Clientele development (farm family education, landowner orientation, and continuing community, education and information) Program Objectives 1. to establish owner-cultivator ship among those who live and work on the land as tillers 2. to create a truly viable, social, and economic structure in agriculture conductive to greater productivity and higher farm income through a cooperative system of production, processing, marketing, distribution, credit, and services 3. to provide a more vigorous and systematic land settlement program and public land distribution 4. to achieve a dignified existence for the small farmers, free from pernicious institutional restraints and practices 5. to make small farmers more independent, self-reliant, and responsible citizens, and a source of genuine strength in our democratic society 6. to apply all labor laws equally and without discrimination to both industrial and agricultural wage earners 7. to give first priority to measures for adequate and timely financing of the agrarian reform program 8. to involve local government in the implementation of the agrarian reform program

Land Reform vs. Agrarian Reform Whenever existing conditions are not favorable to the interest of the people, there is a need to change or improve such conditions. Evidently, the conditions of the farmers and their families are below social and economic standards. Under any kind of measurements , the small farmers are poor. They can hardly send their children to college. Furthermore, farmers who are mere tenants of sharecroppers are not only financially exploited but also experience numerous forms of human indignities. From the economic,social,legal and moral aspects of any democratic society, the arms

of social justice have not reached them. Hence, there is a great need to introduce reforms in the relationship between man and land. Land reform means the improvement of the farmers relationship to the land he cultivates When a farmer is transformed from a tenant into landowner, then this a great improvement. Concept of Agrarian Reform it is concerned with the total development of the farmers-economic,social, and political transformation

Socio-economic Implications of the Program Human Dignity is a priceless gift of God to man without it , man is a useless human being Slaves and tenants have human dignity, because their Lords and masters have destroyed it In our country, tenants, together with their wives and children, perform personal services for their landlords during fiestas, parties, and other celebrations, they were the servants of their landlords