Section 51. Powers and Functions. —
It shall be the responsibility of the Department:
to initiate and prosecute expropriation proceedings for the acquisition of private agricultural lands as defined in Section one hundred sixty-six of Chapter XI of this Code for the purpose of subdivision into economic family-size farm units and resale of said farm units to bona fide tenants, occupants and qualified farmers: Provided, That the powers herein granted shall apply only to private agricultural lands subject to the terms and conditions and order of priority hereinbelow specified.
all idle or abandoned private agricultural lands, except those held or purchased within one year from the approval of this Code by private individuals or corporations for the purpose of resale and subdivision into economic family-size farm units of not more than six (6) hectares each in accordance with the policies enunciated in this Code: Provided, That the subdivision and resale shall be substantially carried out within one year from the approval of this Code;
all private agricultural lands suitable for subdivision into economic family-size farm units of not more than six (6) hectares owned by private individuals or corporation worked by lessees, no substantial portion of whose landholding in relation to the area sought to be expropriated, is planted to permanent crops under labor administration, in excess of twenty-four hectares except all private agricultural lands under labor administration: Provided, That private agricultural lands occupied and cultivated continuously for not less than ten years by tillers or their ascendants who are not farm laborers or lessees may be subject to expropriation under this Code: Provided, further, That any court action filed for the ejectment of the tiller shall not interrupt the running of the ten-year period unless such action is filed within three years from the date of occupancy: Provided, finally, That if the final decision rendered in the court action is favorable to the tiller, the ten-year period shall be considered as continuous and uninterrupted; and
in expropriating private agricultural lands declared by the Department of Agrarian Reform to be necessary for the implementation of the provisions of this Code, the following order of priority shall be considered;
idle or abandoned lands;
those whose area exceeds 1,024 hectares;
those whose area exceeds 500 hectares but is not more than 1,024 hectares;
those whose area exceeds 144 hectares but is not more than 500 hectares;
those whose area exceeds 75 hectares but is not more than 144 hectares; and
those whose area exceeds 24 hectares but is not more than 75 hectares.
To acquire private agricultural lands regardless of area through negotiated purchase subject to approval of the court as to price for distribution and sale at cost to their actual occupants who are tillers of the land in lots of not more than six hectares: Provided, That where there are several groups or individuals of such tillers petitioning for the acquisition of their respective occupancy, priority shall be given to the group with a greater number of tillers who first filed the petition over a group with a lesser number of tillers, and the latter over individual tillers: Provided, further, That the group or individual who has continuously tilled the land longest shall have the first priority;
To help bona fide farmers without lands or agricultural owner-cultivators of uneconomic size farms to acquire and own economic family-size farm units of not more than six hectares each;
To administer and dispose of agricultural lands of the public domain under the custody and administration of the National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Administration and the Economic Development Corps of the Armed Forces of the Philippines prior to the approval of this Amendatory Act and such other public agricultural lands as may hereafter be reserved by the President of the Philippines or by law for resettlement and sale, in accordance with such terms and conditions as are set forth under this chapter: Provided, That the exercise of the authority granted herein, as well as the preceding subparagraph, shall not contravene public policy on the permanency of forest reserves or other laws intended for the preservation and conservation of public national and municipal forests, parks and watersheds: Provided, further, That said authority shall not be construed to exclude the other modes of disposition of public agricultural lands under the public land Act or to contravene the authority granted by law to the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources over all public agricultural lands not covered by the Agrarian Reform Program: Provided, finally, That the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources shall within a period of ten years from the approval of this Amendatory Act, release to the Department of Agrarian Reform for resettlement and sale all lands of the public domain reserved for agricultural resettlement and sale except public agricultural lands which are reserved as settlements for the national cultural minorities under the administration of the Commission on National Integration;
To develop plans and initiate actions for the systematic opening of alienable and disposable lands of the public domain for speedy distribution to and development by deserving and qualified persons who do not own any land in sizes of not more than six hectares;
To recommend to the President, from time to time after previous consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, what portion of the alienable, or disposable public lands shall be reserved for resettlement or disposition under this Chapter;
To give economic family-size farms of not more than six hectares to landless citizens of the Philippines who need, deserve, and are capable of cultivating the land personally, through organized resettlement, under the terms and conditions the Department may prescribe, giving priority to qualified and deserving farmers in the province where such lands are located;
To reclaim swamps and marshes for agricultural purposes only, obtain titles thereto whenever feasible and subdivide them into economic family-size farms of not more than six hectares for distribution to deserving and qualified farmers;
To undertake measures which will insure the early issuance of titles to persons or corporations who have actually settled and cultivated disposable alienable lands of the public domain;
To survey, subdivide and set aside lands or areas of land-holdings under its custody and administration for economic family-size farms, large-scale farm operations, town sites, roads, parks, government centers and other civic improvements as circumstances may warrant: Provided, That the Bureau of Lands and the Land Registration Commission, as the case may be, shall verify the said surveys or subdivisions, and after such verifications, approve or disapprove the same; and issue, in case of approval of said surveys or subdivisions, the corresponding patents and titles thereto;
To inform the Agricultural Productivity Commission and the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources of the problems of settlers and farmers on lands under its administration and in land reform areas: Provided, That it is mandatory for the said Commission and Department to provide field agricultural extension service to these areas upon being informed of the problems obtaining: Provided, further, That settlement projects and land reform areas, especially private agricultural lands acquired by the government, shall be given first priority in the diffusion of useful and practical information, knowledge and skills on agriculture, soil conservation, livestock, fisheries, forest conservation, public lands and natural resources laws, home economics and rural life, in order to encourage their application through field demonstrations, lectures and conferences, publications and other means of imparting information, stimulation, promotion and organization of agricultural cooperatives and encouragement in the formation and growth of private associations, study clubs, committees and other groups of farmers and members of their family that will enhance their social and economic conditions;
To acquire for agricultural lessees exercising their right to pre-emption and redemption under Chapter I of this Code, any land-holdings mentioned thereunder;
To conduct land capability survey and classification of the entire country and print maps;
To make such arrangements with the Land Bank with respect to titles of agricultural lands of the public domain under its administration as will be necessary to carry out the objectives of this Code;
To expropriate home lots occupied by agricultural lessees outside their landholdings for resale at cost to said agricultural lessees;
To see to it that all agricultural lands, either public or private, distributed by the government to the beneficiaries of the Agrarian Reform Program shall be sold only by the said beneficiaries to the government; and
To submit to the President of the Philippines and to both Houses of Congress through their presiding officers, to the Secretary of Finance and to the Auditor General within sixty days of the close of the fiscal year, an annual report showing its Accomplishments during the year; the expropriation proceedings it has undertaken; the expenditures it has incurred and other financial transactions undertaken with respect thereto;