EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 407 - ACCELERATING THE ACQUISITION AND DISTRIBUTION OF AGRICULTURAL LANDS, PASTURE LANDS, FISHPONDS, AGRO-FORESTRY LANDS AND OTHER LANDS OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN SUITABLE FOR AGRICULTURE

WHEREAS, Proclamation No. 131, S. of 1987, has instituted the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program to develop the full potential of Philippine agriculture that will result in increased productivity and better income for agrarian reform beneficiaries, and Executive Order No. 229, S. of 1987, has provided for the mechanisms for the implementation thereof;  

WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 6657 has declared it a policy of the State to pursue the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program in order that the welfare of landless farmworkers will receive highest consideration and that the nation can move towards sound rural development and industrialization;

WHEREAS, Sec. 7 of Republic Act No. 6657 mandates, among others, that all lands foreclosed by government financial institutions, all lands acquired by the Presidential Commission on Good Government, and all other lands owned by the government devoted to or suitable for agriculture, shall be acquired and distributed immediately upon the effectivity of the said Act and with implementation to be completed within a period of not more than four (4) years therefrom;  

WHEREAS, the government has in it inventory lands suitable for agriculture which may be immediately placed under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform program as the titles thereof have been foreclosed and the prescriptive redemption periods have already lapsed;

WHEREAS, the Departments of Agriculture, and Environment and Natural Resources are authorized by law to act on the disposition of leases covering lands of the public domain, i.e., agro-forestry lease agreements, pasture lease agreements and fishpond lease agreements;

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 360, S. of 1989, enjoins all government financial institutions and government-owned or controlled corporations to grant the Department of Agrarian Reform the right of first refusal in the sale or disposition of all lands owned by them which are suitable for agriculture;  

WHEREAS, the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program particularly its land acquisition and distribution to qualified farmer-beneficiaries must be accelerated so that its fruits could be enjoyed by its beneficiaries at the soonest possible time;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, CORAZON C. AQUINO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

Section 1. All Government instrumentalities including but not limited to government agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations or financial institutions such as the Development Bank of the Philippines, Philippine National Bank, Republic Planters Bank, Asset Privatization Trust, Presidential Commission on Good Government, Department of Agriculture, State Colleges and Universities, Department of National Defense, shall immediately execute Deeds of Transfer in favor of the Republic of the Philippines as represented by the Department of Agrarian Reform and surrender to the latter department all landholdings, suitable for agriculture including all pertinent ownership documents in their custody, such as the owner’s duplicate copy of the certificates of title, tax declarations and other documents necessary to effect the transfer of ownership. This Executive Order shall likewise apply to ownership of the following assets, as determined by the Department of Agrarian Reform in close coordination with the concerned government agency:  

a. Improvements, e.g., irrigation systems, roads and bridges;

b. Agriculture processing machineries, e.g., post-harvest facilities;

c. Buildings and other physical structures, warehouses, administration buildings, employees’ housing facilities;  

d. Others, such as trucks and tractors, tools and agricultural supplies.