SECONDDIVISION

[G.R.No.78517.February27,1989.]
GABINOALITA,JESUSJULIAN,JR.,JESUSJULIAN,SR.,
PEDRORICALDE,VICENTERICALDEandROLANDO
SALAMAR,petitioners,vs.THEHONORABLECOURTOF
APPEALS,ENRIQUEM.REYES,PAZM.REYESandFEM.
REYES,respondents.
BureauofAgrarianLegalAssistanceforpetitioners.
LeonardoN.ZuluetaforEnriqueReyes,etal.
AdolfoS.Azcunaforprivaterespondents.
SYLLABUS
1.
AGRARIANREFORMLAWPRES.DECREENO.27DOESNOT
COVERLANDSOBTAINEDTHROUGHAHOMESTEADPATENT.The
pivotalissueiswhetherornotlandsobtainedthroughhomesteadpatentare
coveredbytheAgrarianReformunderP.D.27.Thequestioncertainlycallsfora
negativeanswer.WeagreewiththepetitionersinsayingthatP.D.27decreeing
theemancipationoftenantsfromthebondageofthesoilandtransferringtothem
ownershipofthelandtheytillisasweepingsociallegislation,aremedialmeasure
promulgatedpursuanttothesocialjusticepreceptsoftheConstitution.However,
suchcontentioncannotbeinvokedtodefeattheverypurposeoftheenactmentof
thePublicLandActorCommonwealthActNo.141.Thus,"TheHomesteadAct
hasbeenenactedforthewelfareandprotectionofthepoor.Thelawgivesa
needycitizenapieceoflandwherehemaybuildamodesthouseforhimselfand
familyandplantwhatisnecessaryforsubsistenceandforthesatisfactionoflife's
otherneeds.Therightofthecitizenstotheirhomesandtothethingsnecessary
fortheirsubsistenceisasvitalastherighttolifeitself.Theyhavearighttolive
withacertaindegreeofcomfortasbecomehumanbeings,andtheStatewhich
looksafterthewelfareofthepeople'shappinessisunderadutytosafeguardthe
satisfactionofthisvitalright."(Patriciov.Bayog,112SCRA45)
2.
COMPREHENSIVEAGRARIANREFORMLAWOF1988(RANO.6657)
MAINTAINSTHEINAPPLICABILITYOFP.D.27OVERHOMESTEAD
GRANTEES.ItisworthyofnotethatthenewlypromulgatedComprehensive
AgrarianReformLawof1988orRepublicActNo.6657likewisecontainsa
provisosupportingtheinapplicabilityofP.D.27tolandscoveredbyhomestead

patentslikethoseofthepropertyinquestion,reading,"Section6.RetentionLimits
..."...Providedfurther,Thatoriginalhomesteadgranteesortheirdirect
compulsoryheirswhostillowntheoriginalhomesteadatthetimeoftheapproval
ofthisActshallretainthesameareasaslongastheycontinuetocultivatesaid
homestead."

DECISION

PARAS,J :
p

BeforeUsisapetitionseekingthereversalofthedecisionrenderedbythe
respondentCourtofAppeals**onMarch3,1987affirmingthejudgmentofthe
courtaquodatedApril29,1986,thedispositiveportionofthetrialcourt'sdecision
readingasfollows
"WHEREFORE,thedecisionrenderedbythisCourtonNovember
5,1982isherebyreconsideredandanewjudgmentishereby
rendered:
"1.
DeclaringthatPresidentialDecreeNo.27isinapplicableto
landsobtainedthruthehomesteadlaw
"2.

Declaringthatthefourregisteredcoownerswillcultivate

andoperatethefarmholdingthemselvesasownersthereofand
"3.

Ejectingfromthelandthesocalledtenants,namely

GabinoAlita,JesusJulian,Sr.,JesusJulian,Jr.,PedroRicalde,
VicenteRicaldeandRolandoSalamar,astheownerswouldwant
tocultivatethefarmholdingthemselves.
"Nopronouncementastocosts.
SOORDERED."(p.31,Rollo)

Thefactsareundisputed.Thesubjectmatterofthecaseconsistsoftwo(2)
parcelsofland,acquiredbyprivaterespondents'predecessorsininterestthrough
homesteadpatentundertheprovisionsofCommonwealthActNo.141.Saidlands
aresituatedatGuilinan,Tungawan,ZamboangadelSur.
Privaterespondentshereinaredesirousofpersonallycultivatingtheselands,but
petitionersrefusetovacate,relyingontheprovisionsofP.D.27andP.D.316and
appurtenantregulationsissuedbythethenMinistryofAgrarianReform(MARfor
short),nowDepartmentofAgrarianReform(DARforshort).
OnJune18,1981,privaterespondents(thenplaintiffs),institutedacomplaint
againstHon.ConradoEstrellaasthenMinisterofAgrarianReform,P.D.
MacarambonasRegionalDirectorofMARRegionIX,andhereinpetitioners(then

defendants)forthedeclarationofP.D.27andallotherDecrees,Lettersof
InstructionsandGeneralOrdersissuedinconnectiontherewithasinapplicableto
homesteadlands.
DefendantsfiledtheiranswerwithspecialandaffirmativedefensesofJuly8,
1981.
p rL L

Subsequently,onJuly19,1982,plaintiffsfiledanurgentmotiontoenjointhe
defendantsfromdeclaringthelandsinlitigationunderOperationLandTransfer
andfrombeingissuedlandtransfercertificatestowhichthedefendantsfiledtheir
oppositiondatedAugust4,1982.
OnNovember5,1982,thethenCourtofAgrarianRelations16thRegionalDistrict,
BranchIV,PagadianCity(nowRegionalTrialCourt,9thJudicialRegion,Branch
XVIII)rendereditsdecisiondismissingthesaidcomplaintandthemotiontoenjoin
thedefendantswasdenied.
OnJanuary4,1983,plaintiffsmovedtoreconsidertheOrderofdismissal,to
whichdefendantsfiledtheiroppositiononJanuary10,1983.
Thus,onApril29,1986,theRegionalTrialCourtissuedtheaforequoteddecision
promptingdefendantstomoveforareconsiderationbutthesamewasdeniedinits
OrderdatedJune6,1986.
L L p h i l

OnappealtotherespondentCourtofAppeals,thesamewassustainedinits
judgmentrenderedonMarch3,1987,thus:
"WHEREFORE,findingnoreversibleerrorthereof,thedecision
appealedfromisherebyAFFIRMED.
"SOORDERED."(p.34,Rollo)

Hence,thepresentpetitionforreviewoncertiorari.
Thepivotalissueiswhetherornotlandsobtainedthroughhomesteadpatentare
coveredbytheAgrarianReformunderP.D.27.
Thequestioncertainlycallsforanegativeanswer.
WeagreewiththepetitionersinsayingthatP.D.27decreeingtheemancipationof
tenantsfromthebondageofthesoilandtransferringtothemownershipoftheland
theytillisasweepingsociallegislation,aremedialmeasurepromulgatedpursuant
tothesocialjusticepreceptsoftheConstitution.However,suchcontentioncannot
beinvokedtodefeattheverypurposeoftheenactmentofthePublicLandActor
CommonwealthActNo.141.Thus,
"TheHomesteadActhasbeenenactedforthewelfareand
protectionofthepoor.Thelawgivesaneedycitizenapieceof
landwherehemaybuildamodesthouseforhimselfandfamily
andplantwhatisnecessaryforsubsistenceandforthesatisfaction
oflife'sotherneeds.Therightofthecitizenstotheirhomesandto
thethingsnecessaryfortheirsubsistenceisasvitalastherightto
lifeitself.Theyhavearighttolivewithacertaindegreeofcomfort

asbecomehumanbeings,andtheStatewhichlooksafterthe
welfareofthepeople'shappinessisunderadutytosafeguardthe
satisfactionofthisvitalright."(Patriciov.Bayog,112SCRA45)

Inthisregard,thePhilippineConstitutionlikewiserespectsthesuperiorityofthe
homesteaders'rightsovertherightsofthetenantsguaranteedbytheAgrarian
Reformstatute.InpointisSection6ofArticleXIIIofthe1987Philippine
Constitutionwhichprovides:
"Section6.

TheStateshallapplytheprinciplesofagrarian

reformorstewardship,wheneverapplicableinaccordancewith
law,inthedispositionorutilizationofothernaturalresources,
includinglandsofpublicdomainunderleaseorconcession
suitabletoagriculture,subjecttopriorrights,homesteadrightsof
smallsettlers,andtherightsofindigenouscommunitiestotheir
ancestrallands."

Additionally,itisworthyofnotethatthenewlypromulgatedComprehensive
AgrarianReformLawof1988orRepublicActNo.6657likewisecontainsa
provisosupportingtheinapplicabilityofP.D.27tolandscoveredbyhomestead
patentslikethoseofthepropertyinquestion,reading,
"Section6.

RetentionLimits...

"...Providedfurther,Thatoriginalhomesteadgranteesortheir
directcompulsoryheirswhostillowntheoriginalhomesteadatthe
timeoftheapprovalofthisActshallretainthesameareasaslong
astheycontinuetocultivatesaidhomestead."

WHEREFORE,premisesconsidered,thedecisionoftherespondentCourtof
AppealssustainingthedecisionoftheRegionalTrialCourtisherebyAFFIRMED.
SOORDERED.
MelencioHerrera,Padilla,SarmientoandRegalado,JJ.,concur.
Footnotes
**

PennedbyJusticeJorgeR.CoquiaandconcurredinbyJusticesJosue
N.BellosilloandVenancioD.Aldecoa,Jr.oftheFourthDivision.