NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
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23 JAN 12 P3 29
RECEIVE BV,
SENATE
S.B. No. 1661
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
AN ACT
FULFILLING THE EMANCIPATION OF AGRARIAN REFORM 
BENEFICIARIES FROM THE DEBT BURDEN THROUGH THE FREE AWARD OF 
AGRICULTURAL LANDS UNDER THE COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN REFORM 
PROGRAM, TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS THEREFOR,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The use of property bears a social function, and this is emphatically asserted in 
the paramount law. Article II, Section 21 of the 1987 Constitution states that, "the 
State shall promote comprehensive rural development and agrarian refornf. Likewise, 
Article XIII, Section 4 provides that "the State shall, by law, undertake an agrarian 
reform program founded on the right of farmers and regular farmworkers who are 
landless, to own directly or collectively the lands they till or, in the case of other 
farmworkers, to receive a just share of the fruits thereof."
On 21 October 2022, the country will celebrate the fiftieth (50th) anniversary of 
Presidential Decree (P.D.) No. 27, making it the longest land reform program in history. 
P.D. No. 27 breaks down agricultural estates to a maximum of 7 hectares which is also 
acknowledged by R.A. No. 6657 otherwise known as the, "Comprehensive Agrarian 
Reform Law of 1988".
From 2016 to 2022, the growth of the agricultural sector varied between -1.0% 
to 4.2%, posting negative growth in 2016, 2020 and 2021. The leading cause for low 
agricultural growth in the country lack of investment in the sector due to uncertainty 
in the status of agricultural lands. Land distributed under agrarian reform suffers from 
restrictions associated with lack of individual land titles. Collective Certificate of Land 
Ownership Awards (Collective CLOAs) are problematic due to property right issues
associated with high uncertainty of ownership and high transaction costs associated
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with securing and disposing the land. As such, there is a need to expedite the individual 
titling of land grants.
In addition, the current law does not enable ARBs to use the land as a collateral 
for bank loans for a period of ten (10) years, which give rise to the phenomenon of the 
"landed poor". This phenomenon result in the rise of informal lending channels that 
circumvent the law and result in farmers paying onerous interest on production loans, 
leaving them with little money to spend on improving their capital stock.
The imposition of this debt burden ignores the need to fully emancipate the 
Filipino farmer from the bondage of the soil. It implies that the Filipino Farmer, after 
being subjected to centuries of oppression, still has to pay a price for the land he has 
tilled. It degrades the Agrarian Reform Program as a mere installment purchase 
scheme. It loses sight of the social justice dimension of an authentic agrarian reform 
program: it is never a mere transfer of ownership of land subject to a monetary 
consideration; it is an emancipation transforming the serf to master.
Much emphasis has been given to the proposed condonation of the debts of the 
ARBs in relation to land acquired and distributed to them by the National Government 
through compulsory acquisition. Flowever, it must be borne in mind that there are still 
thousands of ARBs who are yet to receive parcels of land that they may call their own. 
As of January 2022, DAR still has a backlog of 507,243 hectares, of which 84.5% 
(428,347 hectares) are to be compensated through the Land Bank.
In order to fulfill the agrarian reform program, the Department of Agrarian 
Reform (DAR) needs to address the immediate distribution of land to agrarian reform 
beneficiaries. Moreover, in order to fully and truly emancipate the ARBs to whom these 
tracts of land shall be distributed, it is necessary that such distribution shall be at no 
cost to them.
Finally, the implementation of the Agrarian Reform Program cannot be seen as 
successful or complete until and unless adequate support services are given to the 
Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs). However, the support services available to ARBs 
under the current law are limited to land surveys, titling, access to credit, 
infrastructures, services related to Agrarian Reform bonds, research and education, and 
other similar forms of assistance. The agrarian reform law ignores support services 
which are directly needed and indispensable for the sustenance, dwelling, clothing, 
medical attendance, education, transportation, and other needs of the ARBs and their 
families. ARBs should be assisted by the State in ensuring that the needs of their


families are immediately or simultaneously addressed as soon as the farmer or 
farmworker is enrolled under the program. There is reason to believe that a significant 
number of ARBs resorted to illegally leasing or selling their awarded lands to 
businessmen or to the original haciendero out of the desperate need to raise funds for 
the support of the family.
The call of the times is not to end the Agrarian Reform Program. The challenge 
of the times is to ensure its continuation as an integral component of our national 
development and social justice programs. We proceed to the full emancipation of the 
ARBs from the Agrarian Reform debt burden by condoning their loans due to unpaid 
land amortizations, as well as unpaid interests, fees and charges and other payables 
as a consequence of their ownership of the awarded lands thereby, protecting their 
rights and safeguarding their welfare at all times.
Given the abovementioned circumstances, the immediate passage of this bill is 
necessary.
IMEE R. MARCOS


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23 JAN 12 P3 :29
NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
S.B. No. 1661
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS
AN ACT
FULFILLING THE EMANCIPATION OF AGRARIAN REFORM 
BENEFICIARIES FROM THE DEBT BURDEN THROUGH THE FREE AWARD OF 
AGRICULTURAL LANDS UNDER THE COMPREHENSIVE AGRARIAN REFORM 
PROGRAM, TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS THEREFOR,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This shall be known as the "Free Land Distribution
Act."
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It shall be the policy of the State to have 
equitable distribution of opportunities, income, and wealth to attain expanding national 
and local productivity that will act as the key to raising the quality of life for all. To this 
end, the State shall distribute and award land to qualified Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries 
(ARBs) under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and other agrarian 
reform laws, at no cost to such ARBs.
Furthermore, the State recognizes that social justice is actualized not only when 
the landless farmer or farm worker becomes the owner of the land he or she tills but 
also when the landowner whose land has been acquired and distributed under the 
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) is paid just compensation. Therefore,


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it is the policy of the State to ensure that landowners shall continue to be justly 
compensated for their lands.
SEC. 3. Free Land Distribution to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries. - ARBs who are 
still to receive their awarded lands under the CARP or any other agrarian reform 
program shall do so without any obligation to pay any amortization. All agricultural lands 
covered under the CARP or any other agrarian reform program which have not been 
distributed at the time of effectivity of this Act, shall be distributed at no cost to the 
qualified beneficiaries.
SEC. 4. Broadened Scope of Support Services to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries 
under the CARP. - In addition to the support services available to the ARBs under 
Section 37 of R.A. No. 6657, as amended, the DAR, together with the Presidential 
Agrarian Reform Council (PARC), shall ensure that support services and assistance 
indispensable to agricultural productivity and resiliency, enterprise development, and 
financial literacy of the ARBs, as well as to the need for sustenance, dwelling, clothing, 
medical assistance, education, transportation, among others, of such beneficiaries and 
their families, shall be provided. Any form of support services rendered by any banking 
or financial institution for the benefit of the beneficiaries and their families shall be 
deemed a form of support under the Agrarian Reform Program thereby amending 
Section 37 of Republic Act No. 6657, as amended.
This Section is without prejudice to the support services available to ARBs from 
other National Government Agencies, and shall not be construed as alternative 
compliance to Republic Act No. 10000 otherwise known as the Agri-Agra Reform Credit 
Act of 2009.
SEC. 5. Issuance of Agrarian Reform Tide. - The proper Registry of Deeds shall 
register the Emancipation Patent, the Certificate of Land Ownership Award, or any other


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title based on the applicable agrarian reform law within sixty (60) days from the 
issuance of the title in the name of the Republic of the Philippines. It shall likewise 
annotate the Notice of Condonation, on all the affected EPs, CLOAs, or any other titles 
based on the applicable agrarian reform law within sixty (60) days from its issuance by 
the DAR.
SEC. 6. Disqualification of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries due to Acts and 
Omissions Constituting Violations of Agrarian Reform Laws. - Any person convicted by 
final judgment of any of the prohibited acts and omissions under Sec. 73 and meted 
any of the penalties under Sec. 74 of RA. No. 6657, as amended, is disqualified to avail 
of the benefits under this Act. Disqualification also results for any determination by final 
judgment that the ARB, in violation of Sec. 22 of R.A. No. 6657, as amended, willfully 
refused to make the awarded land as productive as possible or deliberately neglected 
or abandoned the awarded land continuously for a period of two (2) calendar years. 
Provided, That non-cultivation of the land due to non-installation of the ARBs, threats 
by other stakeholders or entities, lack of facilities and support services, or situations or 
conditions beyond the control of the ARBs not due to their fault or actuations shall not 
be considered as either neglect, abandonment, or grounds for disqualification.
To this effect, the DAR shall thoroughly investigate and revalidate allegations 
that will constitute disqualification under this Section, in a manner that will be construed 
liberally in the favor of the ARBs.
SEC. 7. Right of the Landowner to Just Compensation. - It is indispensable that 
a landowner whose land has been acquired and distributed to qualified beneficiaries 
under the CARP is paid just compensation. Nothing herein shall diminish the right of 
landowners to be justly compensated for their agricultural lands acquired under the said 
program.


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SEC. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The DAR, in coordination with 
the Executive Committee of the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC ExCom), 
with the technical assistance of the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), shall, within 
sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, formulate the necessary Implementing 
Rules and Regulations.
SEC. 9. Agency Support. - All other government offices and agencies are 
directed to render such prompt and necessary assistance, subject to applicable laws, 
rules and regulations, to fully implement the provisions of this Act.
SEC. 10. Funding. - The amount necessary for the implementation of this Act 
shall be charged against the Agrarian Reform Fund, as certified by the Bureau of 
Treasury, and the inclusion thereof in the Annual General Appropriations Act shall be 
subject to the existing budgeting process, rules and regulations, and to such other funds 
as may subsequently be authorized by Congress.
SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, issuances or parts 
thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby amended, repealed or 
modified accordingly.
SEC. 12. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provisions not affected thereby shall 
remain in full force and effect.
SEC. 13. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect upon its publication in the Official 
Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation
Approved,