The ratification of the Philippine Constitution in 1987 brought an upsurge of progressive reform laws on resource tenure. These aimed to curb national poverty by redistributing wealth among marginalised sectors, including farmers and Indigenous Peoples.

These progressive asset reform laws included the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), Forestry Code, National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS), and Fisheries Code. These were passed largely thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of many groups from marginalised sectors with the support of civil society organisations.

Despite the passage of landmark policies such as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA), implementation remains weak. Agrarian reform continues to be hampered by delayed land distribution, land conversion, and insufficient support services. Indigenous Peoples face systemic hurdles in securing their ancestral domains due to overlapping land tenure claims and an underresourced NCIP.

At the same time, the Philippines is recognised as one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, but it is under increasing threat from extractive industries and weak environmental governance. While international and national frameworks for biodiversity conservation exist, such as the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP), implementation remains limited, especially at the local level.

Unfortunately, after decades of implementation, much still needs to be done for the tens of millions of farmers, fisherfolk, Indigenous Peoples, urban poor, forest communities, and rural women — who continue to live in poverty.