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2018066981

JD4201
Agricultural Land
What is Agricultural Land as defined by law?
Under Republic Act No. 6657,

Section 3. Definitions
“c. Agricultural Land refers to land devoted to agricultural activity as defined in this Act
and not classified as mineral, forest, residential, commercial or industrial land.”
In which it may also include land not idle and abandoned, which is an agricultural land
that became “unproductive by reason of force majeure or any other fortuitous event, provided
that prior to such event, such land was previously used for agricultural or other economic
purpose.”1
Noticing that under the scope of RA No. 6657 otherwise known as Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Law, the words “devoted to or suitable for agriculture”2, plainly, it is inferred
that agricultural lands are those alienable and disposable land of public domain, all lands of the
public domain in excess of specific limits determined by Congress, all other lands belonging to
the government and all private lands devoted to or suitable for agriculture.
As far as lands of the public domain are concerned, in the case of The Director of
Forestry v. Villareal,3 in which the issue of that case is whether mangrove swamps are
agricultural lands or forest lands, it was held that the legislature has the authority to implement
the constitutional provision classifying the lands of public domain.
In C.A. No. 141, the president is delegated to classify periodically lands of public
domain, thus:
“Sec. 6 The President, upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Agriculture and
Natural Resources, shall from time to time classify the lands of public domain, into:
(a) Alienable or disposable
(b) Lumber, and
(c) Mineral Lands…”4
Under the same law also provides the classification of the first category of lands as

1
Sec. 3 (e), Chapter I, Republic Act No. 6657, Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988
2
Sec. 4, Chapter II, Republic Act No. 6657, Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988

3
G.R. No. L-32266, February 27, 1989
4
Sec. 6, Chapter II, Commonwealth Act No. 141, Title and Application of the Act, Lands, to which
it refers, and Classification, Delimitation, and Survery.
“For the purpose of their administration and disposition, the lands of the public domain
alienable or open to disposition shall be classified, according to the use of purposes to
which such lands are destined, as follows:
(a) Agricultural;
(b) Residential, commercial, industrial, or for similar productive purposes;
(c) Educational, charitable, or other similar purposes; and
(d) Reservations for town sites and for public and quasi-public uses
The President, upon recommendation by the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural
Resources shall from time to time make the classifications provided for in this section,
and may, at any time and in a similar manner, transfer lands from one class to another.”5
In addition R.A. 6657 allows the conversion of awarded lands under Comprehensive
Agrarian Reform Program after lapse of five years from granting of the award, if they are no
longer economically feasible and sound for agricultural purposes, or the locality has become
urbanized giving the subject lands greater economic value for residential, commercial, or
industrial.6
In conclusion, Agricultural land are those classified by law under public domain to be
devoted to or for agricultural purposes and activity and those owned by private individuals that
are used for agriculture regardless of the crop or products raised or produced or those that can be
raised thereon.

5
Sec.9, Chapter II, Commonwealth Act No. 141, Title and Application of the Act, Lands, to which it
refers, and Classification, Delimitation, and Survery.
6
Limbo, R.C. (2017). Land Use Reclassification and Land Use Conversion in the Philippines: Inter-
Agency Complementations and overlaps. Retrieved from: http//ap.fftc.agnet.org/ap.dp.php?id=808&print=1

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