Farmers strongly condemned the recent Court of Appeals (CA) decision ordering the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) to pay more than ₱28.488 billion as “just compensation” to the Cojuangco-Aquino family, owners of Hacienda Luisita, calling it unjust and proof of the failure of the bogus land reform program.

The decision, released on April 25, relates to the earlier Supreme Court order to distribute 4,500 hectares of Hacienda Luisita land to farmers under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

“Giving billions of pesos in payment to landlords who have exploited and amassed wealth from Hacienda Luisita farmers and farmworkers for decades is unjust. This clearly proves the failure and rottenness of CARP,” Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) chairperson Danilo Ramos said, condemning the decision.

In KMP’s review of the document released by the Court of Appeals (CA-G.R. SP No. 180821), the court recognized the total amount of P28,488,944,278.71 as payment to the Cojuangco-Aquino family, after deducting the Php1.5 billion previously received. The CA based its decision on the latest land valuation as of April 30, 2025.

“Behind this payment, hundreds of farmers and families in Hacienda Luisita remain landless, deprived of justice, and continue to lose their livelihoods as a result of widespread land use conversion in HLI,” Ramos said.

He said that while those who actually tilled the land were killed, evicted, and repressed, those who amassed from monopolizing land ownership are being rewarded.

The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) also denounced the huge amount of compensation, calling it “excessive,” especially since earlier estimates by DAR and the courts placed a lower value on the land.

According to KMP, the ₱28.488 billion is larger than DAR’s total budget for 2025, which is ₱11.101 billion.

“This family, as well as the Lorenzos who now also have a large stake in Hacienda Luisita, should not be paid anymore. Instead of allocating sufficient funds for aid, production support, and compensation for farmers, the government is even pouring the people’s wealth into the hands of landlords. While farmers go hungry and suffer, landlords receive bonuses,” said Ramos.

Farmers regard Hacienda Luisita as the symbol of CARP’s failure.

“Under CARP, land reform became a business for decades—not to truly distribute land, but to sell it, subject it to land conversion and land speculation,” said Ramos. “Hacienda Luisita is now the clearest example of the Marcos Jr administration’s lack of intention to solve the land problem.”

Alongside the New Agrarian Emancipation Act (NAEA), the legal framework for land grabbing from legitimate beneficiaries is expanding even further, according to KMP.

“The NAEA has also proven to be a bogus solution to the decades-long land conflict, as it continues to favor landlords and big businesses,” the group said.