NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
SENATE
s. No. 922
of the C!'rfrctarj’
•22 JUL28 A10 33
RECEIVED BY:
Introckiced by Senator FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE EMANCIPATION OF AGRARIAN REFORM 
BENEFICIARIES FROM THE ENSUING DEBT BURDEN FROM LANDS 
AWARDED UNDER THE COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN REFORM PROGRAM, 
INSTITUTING MECHANISMS FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS AND 
SAFEGUARDING THE WELFARE OF AGRARIAN REFORM BENEFICIARIES, 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This bill seeks to provide financial relief to thousands of agrarian reform 
beneficiaries who struggle to make ends meet, let alone pay the amortization, 
Interests, penalties and other surcharges on lands they have acquired under the 
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). This bill likewise provides 
administrative relief to agencies mandated with the Herculean task of extracting 
payment from those who have very little.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., in his first state of the nation address, took 
note of the need to emancipate small farmers from the burden of debt payment. He 
estimated that condonation of all agrarian reform loans will cost the government about 
P58.13 billion, equivalent to only a quarter of foregone revenues in a single fiscal year 
under Republic Act No. 10963 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion 
(TRAIN) Law and Republic Act No. 11534 or the Corporate Recovery and Tax 
Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Law. If the government could absorb P225.34 
billion revenue loss in a single year to provide tax relief for the middle class and to 
attract foreign Investors, then it should be able to absorb a fraction of that amount to 
provide reprieve to thousands of struggling agrarian reform beneficiaries and to move 
one step close to achieving our food security objectives.
Drawing from similar bills filed in previous Congresses, this bill hopes to fulfill 
two specific objectives. First, it seeks to provide farmers with additional resources by 
condoning annual amortization and Interests, Including penalties or surcharges, if any; 
and by Improving farmers' access to credit through the resolution of the ownership of


awarded lands. Second, it reduces the cost of administering the land reform program 
by eliminating the need to collect amortization from agrarian reform beneficiaries.
As a ma'cter of record, this representation filed just recently a similar bill that 
seeks to condone all payables on loans secured by agrarian reform beneficiaries under 
the CARP.
Additionally, however, this bill seeks to reduce bottlenecks and stumbling blocks 
to the full implementation of the agrarian reform program by upholding the power of 
the Department of Agrarian Reform to adjudicate agrarian reform matters, mandating 
all government agencies to provide support in the implementation of the program, 
and limit judicial interventions to those Issued by the Supreme Court. The proposed 
measure likewise introduces provisions to expand the menu of support services that 
could be extended to the farmer-beneficiaries and to include lands awarded under 
Executive Order No. 75 s. 2019 among the lands that would be distributed for free to 
qualified beneficiaries.
Ultimately, the proposed measure aims to accomplish more the objectives of 
the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law, which now includes improving the lives of 
farmers, reducing rural poverty and accelerating rural development. As a distinguished 
Filipino economist has noted, a good stimulus for agriculture Is for the government to 
write off its minuscule agrarian reform collectible.
To aid in the realization of genuine reforms In the agricultural sector, the swift 
passage of this measure is earnestly sought.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED.
FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
1%^ g>enntr
dottier of tljf ^nrrftai-f
72 JUL28 A10 33
SENATE
s. No. 922
RECEIVED IV:
Introduced by Senator FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE EMANCIPATION OF AGRARIAN REFORM 
BENEFICIARIES FROM THE ENSUING DEBT BURDEN FROM LANDS 
AWARDED UNDER THE COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN REFORM PROGRAM/ 
INSTITUTING MECHANISMS FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS AND 
SAFEGUARDING THE WELFARE OF AGRARIAN REFORM BENEFICIARIES, 
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
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Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the xxNew Emancipation Act”
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Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the state to
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promote comprehensive rural development and agrarian reform. To this end, and in
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line with the mandate to undertake an agrarian reform program founded on the right
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of farmers and regular farmworkers to own directly or collectively the lands they till,
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the government shall establish mechanisms to emancipate small farmers from the
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bondage of debt, to improve their access to credit and farm inputs, to boost farm
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income and agriculture productivity.
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Sec. 3. Provision of Subsidy in the Acquisition and Distribution of Agricultural
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Lands to Qualified Beneficiaries. - The distribution of agricultural lands to qualified
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beneficiaries shall be directly and fully subsidized by the State, thereby relieving
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Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) from payment of any amortization, interest,
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surcharges or penalties arising from the loans secured for lands awarded under the
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Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).


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Existing loans of ARBs with unpaid amortization and interest are hereby
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condoned. All ARBs who have yet to possess their awarded lands under the CARP shall
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receive it without any obligation to pay any amortization. ARBs who have completed
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payment of the amortization of their awarded lands shall be given preference in the
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award of the new package of support services from the National Government, which
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includes initial capital upon issuance of the Certificate of Land Ownership Award,
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access to credit facilities, and automatic qualification to various support services
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including but not limited to provisions for housing, education, and other loans.
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Sec. 4, Jurisdiction and Automatic Referral of Agrarian Cases. - The
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Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) shall be vested with primary and exclusive
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jurisdiction to determine and adjudicate agrarian reform matters in accordance with
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Republic Act No. 6657, as amended, otherwise known as the "Comprehensive Agrarian
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Reform Law of 1988." Any court or government agency exercising quasi-judicial
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functions shall, without prejudice, automatically refer to the DAR any of the following
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cases:
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(a) Tenurial arrangements, whether leasehold, tenancy, stewardship or 
otherwise, over lands devoted to agriculture;
(b) Disputes concerning farmworkers' associations or representation of 
persons In negotiating, fixing, maintaining, changing, or seeking to arrange 
terms or conditions of any tenurial arrangements;
(c) Terms and conditions of transferring ownership from landowners to 
farmworkers, tenants, and other ARBs, whether the disputants stand in the 
proximate relation of farm operator and beneficiary, landowner and tenant, 
or lessor and lessee;
(d) Cases when the DAR exercises quasi-judicial power as provided under 
Section 50 and Section 50-A of Republic Act No. 6657, as amended;
(e) Final resolution of issues, disputes, and controversies arising out of 
Agribusiness Venture Arrangements; and
(f) Any matter, dispute, or controversy arising from Agrarian Reform issues 
and implementation of Agrarian Reform Programs.


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Sec. 5. Expansion of Support Services for Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries. - In
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addition to the support services provided under Section 37 of Republic Act No. 6657,
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as amended, the DAR, in coordination with the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council
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(PARC) and other government agencies concerned, shall ensure that the ARBs and
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members of their respective families receive support services and assistance such as,
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but not limited to: financial literacy services, direct financial assistance, fuel subsidies,
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medical and health care assistance, scholarship grants and transport subsidies.
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Sec. 6. Distribution of Government-Owned Agricultural Lands. - Govern ment-
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owned lands covered under Executive Order No. 75 s. 2019 shall be distributed to
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qualified ARBs at no cost to the beneficiaries concerned.
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Sec. 7. Agency Support. - All government agencies and instrumentalities shall
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render prompt and necessary assistance in the implementation of this Act, subject to
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applicable laws, rules and regulations.
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Sec. 8. Prohibition on the Issuance of Temporary Restraining Orders,
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Preliminary Injunctions and Preliminary Mandatory Injunctions. - No temporary
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restraining order, preliminary Injunction, or preliminary mandatory injunction shall be
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issued by any court, except the Court of Appeals, against the DAR or its officials and
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employees, to restrain or prohibit In any matter the distribution of lands covered under
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the CARP.
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Sec. 9. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the implementation of the
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provisions of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act
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following Its enactment into law.
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Sec. 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within thirty (30) days from
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the effectivity of this Act, the DAR, in coordination with the PARC, Department of
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Finance and the Land Bank of the Philippines, shall promulgate the necessary rules
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and regulations to effectively implement the provisions of this Act.
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Sec. 11. Repealing Clause. - Section 26 of Republic Act No. 6657, as amended,
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otherwise known as the ^'Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988’ is hereby


repealed. All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent 
with any of the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified 
accordingly.
Sec. 12. Separability Clause. - If any portion or provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected thereby shall 
remain in force and effect.
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Sec. 13. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
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publication in the Official Gazette or at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,