FIFTEENTH CONGRESS )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
First Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

House Bill No. 1726

Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez and
Representative Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The coconut industry is a top dollar eamer chalking $900 million to
about $1 billion, and a potential annual earner of $2 billion if rehabilitated. As
a dollar earner, the coconut and all its by-products surpass other export
products, as it requires no import casts. In fact, the Philippines is one of the
world's biggest exporters of coconut oil, which is either used for food or other
industries.

Unfortunately, unstable trends in production and world market prices
lead observers to view the industry as a sunset industry, which will eventually
die and stop bringing income to those who depend on it for a living. The
number one problem is the dwindling supply of coconut. Coconut trees are cut
down for lumber, while some cocolands are being converted to avoid the
operation of land reform. Thus, the marginal coconut farmer is now in
quandary. Most of them are seriously thinking of selling their cocolands, or of
converting it, and leaving coconut farming in favor of promising opportunities
in other areas of endeavor. Hence, it is incumbent upon Congress to address
these conditions afflicting the coconut industry, which comprises a substantial
sector of Philippine agriculture and a major source of our export earnings

This bill seeks, therefore, to alleviate the present condition of the
coconut industry and ensure its continuity and substantially by classifying it as
last priority for coverage in the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program of


the government so as not to discourage coconut farmers in investing further in
coconut farming. This measure also provides for a stricter or higher penalty

for violations of the prohibited acts and omission under Republic Act No.
6657.

Early approval of this bill is earnestly requested.

my
Ld

MAXIMO 8. RODRIGUEZ, JR.


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES —_)
First Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1726

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representative Rufus B, Rodriguez and
Representative Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr.

AN ACT
AMENDING CERTAIN SECTIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NUMBER SIX
THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED FIFTY SEVEN (R.A. 6657), AS AMENDED,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN REFORM
LAW OF 1998”, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines
jin Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Section 7 of Republic Act Numbered Six Thousand Six
Hundred Fifty Seven (R.A. 6657), as amended, otherwise known as the
“Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1998" is hereby amended to read as
follows:

Section 7. Priority. The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in
coordination with the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC)
shall plan and program the acquisition and distribution of all agricultural
lands through a period of ten (10) years from effectivity of this Act.
Lands shall be acquired and distributed as follows:

Phase One: Rice and corn lands under Presidential Decree No.
27; All idle or abandoned lands; all private lands voluntarily offered by
the owners for agrarian reform; all lands foreclosed by government
financial institutions; all lands acquired by the Presidential Commission
on Good Government (PCGG); and all other lands owned by the
government devoted to or suitable for agriculture, which shall be
acquired and distributed immediately upon the effectivity of this Act,
with the implementation to be completed within the period of not more
than four (4) years.


Phase Two: all alienable and disposable public agriculture
lands; all arable public agricultural lands under agro-forest, pasture and
agricultural leases already cultivated and planted to crop in accordance
with Section, Article XIII of the Constitution; all public agricultural lands
which are to be opened for new development and resettlement; and all
private agricultural lands in excess of fifty (50) hectares, insofar as the
excess hectarage is concerned, to implement principally the rights of
farmers and regular farm workers, who are landless, to own directly or
collectively the lands they till, which shall be distributed immediately
upon the effectivity of this Act, with the implementation to be completed
within a period of not more than four (4) years.

Phase Three: all other privated agricultural lands with large
landholdings and proceeding to medium and small under the following
schedule:

(a) Landholdings above twenty-four (24) hectares up to fifty (50)
hectares, to begin on the fourth (4") year from the effectivity of this
Act to be completed within three (3) years; and

(b) Landholdings from the retention limit up to twenty four (24)
hectares, to begin on the sixth (6") year form the effectivity of this
Act and to be completed within four (4) years; to implement
principally the right of farmers and regular farmworkers who are
landless, to own directly or collectively the lands they til

The schedule of acquisition and redistribution of all agricultural
lands covered by this program shall be made in accordance with the
above order of priority, which shall be provided in the implementing rules
to be prepared by the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC),
taking into consideration the following: The need to enhance agricultural
productivity; and the availability of funds and resources to implement and
Support the program; PROVIDED, ALL LANDS DEVOTED PRIMARILY
TO COCONUT FARMING SHALL BE GIVEN LAST PRIORITY IN THE
SCHEDULE OF ACQUISITION AND REDISTRIBUTION WHETHER THE
SAME BE PUBLIC OR PRIVATED, TENANTED OR UNTENANTED.

In any case, the PARC, upon recommendation by the Provincial
Agrarian Reform Coordination Committee (PARCCOM), may declare
certain provinces or regions as priority land reform areas, in which cases
the acquisition and distribution of private agricultural lands therein may be
implemented ahead of the above schedules.


In effecting the transfer within these guidelines, priority must be
given to lands that are tenanted.

The PARC shall establish guidelines to implement the above
priorities and distribution scheme, including the determination of who are
qualified beneficiaries: Provided that, an owner-tiller may be a beneficiary
of the land he does not own but is actually cultivating to the extent of the
difference between the area of the land he owns and the award ceiling of
three (3) hectares.

SEC 2. Section 74 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as
follows:

Section 74. Penalties. Any person who knowingly or willfully
violates the provisions of this Act shall be punished by imprisonment of not
less than fone (1) month not more that three (3) or a fine of not less than one
thousand pesos (P1,000.00) and not more than fifteen thousand pesos
(15,000.00),} SIX (6) MONTHS TO NOT MORE THAN FOUR (4) YEARS OR
AFINE OF NOT LESS THAN FIVE THOUSAND.

SEC 3. Separability clause. If any provision of this Act shall be held to
be unconstitutional, the remainder of the Act not otherwise affected shall
remain in full force and effect.

SEC 4. Repealing clause. All laws, orders, rules and regulations, parts
thereof, inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or modified
accordingly.

SEC 5. Effectivity clause. This Act shall take effect 30 days after its
complete publication in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation or
in the Official gazette.

Approved.