Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Batasan Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ________ 
Introduced by Honorable Representatives 
ARLENE D. BROSAS (Gabriela Women’s Party), 
FRANCE L. CASTRO (ACT Teachers Partylist), 
and RAOUL DANNIEL A. MANUEL (Kabataan Partylist) 
AN ACT DECLARING JANUARY 22 OF EVERY YEAR A SPECIAL WORKING HOLIDAY TO 
BE KNOWN AS NATIONAL FARMERS DAY 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
On January 15, 1987, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), a national peasant 
organization, held a camp-out in front of the office of the then Ministry of Agrarian Reform to 
assert their demand for genuine agrarian reform. 
On January 20, 1987, a dialogue occurred between the peasant leaders and Minister of 
Agrarian Reform Heherson Alvarez but the government had no clear and substantial response 
to the farmers' demand.  
On the morning of January 22, 1987, farmers led by KMP decided to march to Malacañang to 
air their demand for genuine agrarian reform. They were later joined by members of other 
sectoral organizations such as the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Bagong Alyansang Makabayan 
(BAYAN), League of Filipino Students (LFS) and Kongreso ng Pagkakaisa ng Maralitang 
Lungsod (KPML). They arrived at Liwasang Bonifacio at about 1:00 PM. where they held a brief 
program. At around 4:30 PM, about 15,000 to 20,000 demonstrators reached C.M. Recto. 
During this mobilization, OPLAN YELLOW was put into effect by the Capital Regional 
Command (CAPCOM). Task Force Nazareno was deployed within the vicinity of Malacañang. 
The civil disturbance control units of the Western Police District (WPD) were also activated. 
As the leaders of KMP were negotiating with the authorities to allow the body to proceed and 
reach the gates of Malacañang, police officers abruptly fired their guns indiscriminately, 
shooting directly at the crowd.  
As a result of the pandemonium, thirteen (13) marchers died, namely Danilo Arjona; Leopoldo 
Alonzo; Adelfa Aribe; Dionisio Bautista; Roberto Caylao; Vicente Campomanes; Ronilo 
Dumunico; Dante Evangelio; Angelito Gutierrez; Rodrigo Grampan; Bernabe Laquindanum; 
Sonny Boy Perez; and Roberto Yumul. Thirty-nine (39) were wounded by gunshots and twelve 
(12) sustained minor injuries, all belonging to the group of the marchers.
July 4, 2022
4:11 pm
1112


In the aftermath of the fateful day, now known as the “Mendiola Massacre,” former President 
Corazon C. Aquino issued Administrative Order (AO) No. 11, dated January 22, 1987, which 
created the Citizens’ Mendiola Commission to investigate the incident. 
 
As stated in G.R. No. 84607, among the findings of the Commission were: 
 
a. The crowd dispersal units of the police and the military were armed with .38 and .45 
caliber handguns and M-16 armalites, which is a prohibited act under paragraph 4(g), 
Section 13, and punishable under paragraph (b), Section 14 of Batas Pambansa (BP) 
Blg. 880. 
 
b. The security men assigned to protect the WPD, INP Field Force, the Marines, and 
supporting military units, as well as the security officers of the police and military 
commanders, were in civilian attire in violation of paragraph (a), Section 10, BP Blg. 880. 
 
c. There was unnecessary firing by the police and military crowd dispersal control units in 
dispersing the marchers, a prohibited act under paragraph (e) Section 13, and 
punishable under paragraph (b), Section 14, BP Blg. 880. 
 
d. Tear gas was not used at the start of the disturbance to disperse the rioters. After the 
crowd had dispersed and the wounded and dead were being carried away, the MDTs of 
the police and the military, with their tear gas equipment and components, conducted 
dispersal operations in the Mendiola area and proceeded to Liwasang Bonifacio to 
disperse the remnants of the marchers. 
 
Subsequently, this event served as a wake-up call to the Aquino administration to push for a 
legislated land reform program in the country.  
 
After thirty-five (35) years, people may have forgotten what transpired on that day. Some 
journalists called it “Black Thursday,” but to many, it is known as the “Mendiola Massacre.”   
 
This bill was originally formulated by the Anakpawis party-list to remind the nation of the tragic 
incident, which deserves a chapter in our country’s history, and to honor the heroism of the 
peasants whose lives were offered in the struggle for genuine agrarian reform. More 
importantly, this recognizes the historic and continuing role of farmers in the pursuit of a just, 
prosperous, and democratic society. 
 
During the 13th Congress, this bill was approved by the Committee on Revision of Laws 
(Committee Report No. 1955) and was included in the Business for the Day on November 15, 
2006.  
 
This bill passed Third Reading in the 14th Congress and was transmitted to the Senate on 
January 28, 2010, one step closer to becoming a law. 
 
Even though the legislation received approval from the Lower House on Second Reading on 
February 5, 2013, the 15th Congress failed to pass it. 
 
This legislative measure was refiled in the 16th Congress, but it was never deliberated even at 
the committee level. It was again refiled in the 17th and 18th Congresses, where it was referred 
to the Committee on Agriculture and Food and Committee on Revision of Laws, respectively. 


During the 18th Congress, the bill was approved on Third Reading and was transmitted to the 
Senate on June 3, 2020. 
The Makabayan bloc is filing this measure in the 19th Congress to continue pushing for the 
much-deserved official national recognition of the Filipino peasantry’s heroic struggle for land 
and justice. 
 In view of the foregoing, the early passage of this bill is earnestly requested. 
ARLENE D. BROSAS 
Gabriela Women’s Party 
FRANCE L. CASTRO 
RAOUL DANNIEL A. MANUEL 
ACT Teachers Partylist 
Kabataan Partylist 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Batasan Hills, Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ________ 
Introduced by Honorable Representatives 
ARLENE D. BROSAS (Gabriela Women’s Party), 
FRANCE L. CASTRO (ACT Teachers Partylist), 
and RAOUL DANNIEL A. MANUEL (Kabataan Partylist) 
AN ACT DECLARING JANUARY 22 OF EVERY YEAR A SPECIAL WORKING HOLIDAY TO 
BE KNOWN AS NATIONAL FARMERS DAY 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title – The twenty-second day of January of every year is hereby declared 
as a special working holiday to be known as “National Farmers Day”. 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy – To ensure meaningful observance of the holiday as 
herein declared, all heads of government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-
owned and controlled corporations, especially those that are dealing directly with farmers as 
well as local government units, and employers in the private sector shall encourage and afford 
sufficient time and opportunities for their employees to engage and participate in any activity 
conducted within the premises of their respective offices or establishments in support and 
sympathy to farmers across the country to celebrate “National Farmers Day”. 
SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its publication in the 
Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation. 
Approved, 
1112