uz Farms vs. Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform 192 SCRA 51 (1990)

Luz Farms vs. Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform 

192 SCRA 51 (1990)

Facts:

Petitioner Luz Farms is a corporation engaged in livestock and poultry business. It seeks to nullify Sec. 3 (b) and Sec. 11 of RA 6657 in so far as they apply to livestock and poultry business.

Held:

Sec. 3 (b) and Sec. 11 of RA 6657 are unconstitutional in so far as they include lands devoted to raising livestock, swine and poultry within its coverage. The use of land is incidental to but not the principal factor or consideration of productivity in this industry. The Supreme Court held that:

The transcripts of deliberations of the Constitutional Commission of 1986 on the meaning of the word "agricultural," clearly show that it was never the intention of the framers of the Constitution to include livestock and poultry industry in the coverage of the constitutionally-mandated agrarian reform program of the government.

The Committee adopted the definition of "agricultural land" as defined under Section 166 of RA 3844, as land devoted to any growth, including but not limited to crop lands, saltbeds, fishponds, idle and abandoned land (Record, CONCOM, August 7, 1986, Vol. III, p. 11).

The Supreme Court noted that the intention of the Committee to limit the application of the word "agriculture" is further shown by the proposal of Commissioner Jamir to insert the word "arable" to distinguish this kind of agricultural land from such lands as commercial and industrial lands and residential properties. The proposal, however, was not considered because the Committee contemplated that agricultural lands are limited to arable and suitable agricultural lands and therefore, do not include commercial, industrial and residential lands (Record, CONCOM, 7 August 1986, Vol. III, p. 30).

Moreover, in his answer to Commissioner Regalado's interpellation, Commissioner Tadeo clarified that the term "farmworker" was used instead of "agricultural worker" in order to exclude therein piggery, poultry and livestock workers (Record, CONCOM, August 2, 1986, Vol. II, p. 621).