In a country characterized by relative abundance of labor and high inequality in land
distribution, the arguments for an honest and genuine land reform remains particularly
strong. The objectives of land reform often relate to various goals of equity,
efficiency, food security, poverty reduction, human development and long-term
political stability. The economic literature devoted to land reform is voluminous and
varied. Many of these studies advocate land redistribution as positively related to an
increase in agricultural productivity. The increase in income of the owner-cultivator
likewise generates income multiplier effects such as in the case of the “Land-to-thetiller”
program of Taiwan in 1949. By fostering the transfer of resources to the
industrial sector (of previous landowners), land redistribution has been observed to
play a key role in the development process of a country.
Philippines has long been known for its high inequality in distribution of wealth and
income, characterized by its high inequality in land distribution. Partly due to this
historically high inequality, there has long been occasional incidence of peasant unrest
and rural insurgences in Philippine history. As a result, land reform has continuously
been the subject of numerous debates over state policy in the Philippines.