Provisions in the Constitution and UDHR on Agriculture and the Environment:

1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines

PREAMBLE
We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order to build a just and
humane society, and establish a Government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the
common good, conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our posterity, the
blessings of independence and democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom,
love, equality, and peace, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution.
ARTICLE II
DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES AND STATE POLICIES PRINCIPLES
STATE POLICIES
Section 9. he !tate shall promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and
independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate
social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life
for all.
Section 15. he !tate shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health
consciousness among them.
Section 16. he !tate shall protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful
ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature.
Section 19. he !tate shall develop a self"reliant and independent national economy effectively
controlled by Filipinos.
Section 20. he !tate recogni#es the indispensable role of the private sector, encourages private
enterprise, and provides incentives to needed investments.
Section 21. he !tate shall promote comprehensive rural development and agrarian reform.
ARTICLE XII
NATIONAL ECONOMY AND PATRIMONY
Section 1. he goals of the national economy are a more equitable distribution of opportunities,
income, and wealth$ a sustained increase in the amount of goods and services produced by the nation
for the benefit of the people$ and an e%panding productivity as the &ey to raising the quality of life for
all, especially the underprivileged.
he !tate shall promote industriali#ation and full employment based on sound agricultural development
and agrarian reform, through industries that ma&e full of efficient use of human and natural resources,
and which are competitive in both domestic and foreign mar&ets. 'owever, the !tate shall protect
Filipino enterprises against unfair foreign competition and trade practices.
(n the pursuit of these goals, all sectors of the economy and all regions of the country shall be given
optimum opportunity to develop. )rivate enterprises, including corporations, cooperatives, and similar
collective organi#ations, shall be encouraged to broaden the base of their ownership.
Section 1. he !tate shall pursue a trade policy that serves the general welfare and utili#es all forms
and arrangements of e%change on the basis of equality and reciprocity.
ARTICLE XIII
A!RARIAN AND NAT"RAL RESO"RCES REFORM
Section #. he !tate shall, by law, underta&e an agrarian reform program founded on the right of
farmers and regular farmwor&ers who are landless, to own directly or collectively the lands they till or,
in the case of other farmwor&ers, to receive a just share of the fruits thereof. o this end, the !tate shall
encourage and underta&e the just distribution of all agricultural lands, subject to such priorities and
reasonable retention limits as the Congress may prescribe, ta&ing into account ecological,
developmental, or equity considerations, and subject to the payment of just compensation. (n
determining retention limits, the !tate shall respect the right of small landowners. he !tate shall
further provide incentives for voluntary land"sharing.
Section 5. he !tate shall recogni#e the right of farmers, farmwor&ers, and landowners, as well as
cooperatives, and other independent farmers* organi#ations to participate in the planning, organi#ation,
and management of the program, and shall provide support to agriculture through appropriate
technology and research, and adequate financial, production, mar&eting, and other support services.
Section 6. he !tate shall apply the principles of agrarian reform or stewardship, whenever applicable
in accordance with law, in the disposition or utili#ation of other natural resources, including lands of
the public domain under lease or concession suitable to agriculture, subject to prior rights, homestead
rights of small settlers, and the rights of indigenous communities to their ancestral lands. he !tate may
resettle landless farmers and farmwor&ers in its own agricultural estates which shall be distributed to
them in the manner provided by law.
Section $. he !tate shall protect the rights of subsistence fishermen, especially of local communities,
to the preferential use of the communal marine and fishing resources, both inland and offshore. (t shall
provide support to such fishermen through appropriate technology and research, adequate financial,
production, and mar&eting assistance, and other services. he !tate shall also protect, develop, and
conserve such resources. he protection shall e%tend to offshore fishing grounds of subsistence
fishermen against foreign intrusion. Fishwor&ers shall receive a just share from their labor in the
utili#ation of marine and fishing resources.
Section %. he !tate shall provide incentives to landowners to invest the proceeds of the agrarian
reform program to promote industriali#ation, employment creation, and privati#ation of public sector
enterprises. Financial instruments used as payment for their lands shall be honored as equity in
enterprises of their choice.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
PREAMBLE
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignit and of the e!ual and inalienable rights of all "e"bers of
the hu"an fa"il is the foundation of freedo"# $ustice and peace in the %orld#
Whereas disregard and conte"pt for hu"an rights ha&e resulted in barbarous acts %hich ha&e outraged
the conscience of "an'ind# and the ad&ent of a %orld in %hich hu"an beings shall en$o freedo" of
speech and belief and freedo" fro" fear and %ant has been proclai"ed as the highest aspiration of the
co""on people#
Whereas it is essential# if "an is not to be co"pelled to ha&e recourse# as a last resort# to rebellion
against trann and oppression# that hu"an rights should be protected b the rule of la%#
Whereas it is essential to pro"ote the de&elop"ent of friendl relations bet%een nations#
Whereas the peoples of the (nited )ations ha&e in the Charter reaffir"ed their faith in funda"ental
hu"an rights# in the dignit and %orth of the hu"an person and in the e!ual rights of "en and %o"en
and ha&e deter"ined to pro"ote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedo"#
Whereas Me"ber *tates ha&e pledged the"sel&es to achie&e# in co+operation %ith the (nited )ations#
the pro"otion of uni&ersal respect for and obser&ance of hu"an rights and funda"ental freedo"s#
Whereas a co""on understanding of these rights and freedo"s is of the greatest i"portance for the full
reali,ation of this pledge#
Now, Therefore THE ENERA! A""E#$!% &roclaims TH'" UN'(ER"A! DEC!ARAT')N
)* HU#AN R'HT" as a co""on standard of achie&e"ent for all peoples and all nations# to the
end that e&er indi&idual and e&er organ of societ# 'eeping this -eclaration constantl in "ind# shall
stri&e b teaching and education to pro"ote respect for these rights and freedo"s and b progressi&e
"easures# national and international# to secure their uni&ersal and effecti&e recognition and obser&ance#
both a"ong the peoples of Me"ber *tates the"sel&es and a"ong the peoples of territories under their
$urisdiction.

Article +,
E&erone has the right to life# libert and securit of person.
Article -,
All are e!ual before the la% and are entitled %ithout an discri"ination to e!ual protection of
the la%. All are entitled to e!ual protection against an discri"ination in &iolation of this
-eclaration and against an incite"ent to such discri"ination.
Article .,
E&erone has the right to an effecti&e re"ed b the co"petent national tribunals for acts
&iolating the funda"ental rights granted hi" b the constitution or b la%.
Article /,
)o one shall be sub$ected to arbitrar arrest# detention or e/ile.
Article 01,
E&erone is entitled in full e!ualit to a fair and public hearing b an independent and
i"partial tribunal# in the deter"ination of his rights and obligations and of an cri"inal charge
against hi".
Article 00,
011 E&erone charged %ith a penal offence has the right to be presu"ed innocent until pro&ed
guilt according to la% in a public trial at %hich he has had all the guarantees necessar for his
defence.
021 )o one shall be held guilt of an penal offence on account of an act or o"ission %hich
did not constitute a penal offence# under national or international la%# at the ti"e %hen it %as
co""itted. )or shall a hea&ier penalt be i"posed than the one that %as applicable at the ti"e
the penal offence %as co""itted.
Article 02,
)o one shall be sub$ected to arbitrar interference %ith his pri&ac# fa"il# ho"e or
correspondence# nor to attac's upon his honour and reputation. E&erone has the right to the
protection of the la% against such interference or attac's.
Article 0+,
011 E&erone has the right to freedo" of "o&e"ent and residence %ithin the borders of each
state.
021 E&erone has the right to lea&e an countr# including his o%n# and to return to his countr.
Article 03,
011 E&erone has the right to see' and to en$o in other countries aslu" fro" persecution.
021 3his right "a not be in&o'ed in the case of prosecutions genuinel arising fro" non+
political cri"es or fro" acts contrar to the purposes and principles of the (nited )ations.
Article 04,
011 E&erone has the right to a nationalit.
021 )o one shall be arbitraril depri&ed of his nationalit nor denied the right to change his
nationalit.
Article 05,
011 Men and %o"en of full age# %ithout an li"itation due to race# nationalit or religion# ha&e
the right to "arr and to found a fa"il. 3he are entitled to e!ual rights as to "arriage# during
"arriage and at its dissolution.
021 Marriage shall be entered into onl %ith the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
041 3he fa"il is the natural and funda"ental group unit of societ and is entitled to protection
b societ and the *tate.
Article 0-,
011 E&erone has the right to o%n propert alone as %ell as in association %ith others.
021 )o one shall be arbitraril depri&ed of his propert.
Article 0.,
E&erone has the right to freedo" of thought# conscience and religion5 this right includes
freedo" to change his religion or belief# and freedo"# either alone or in co""unit %ith others
and in public or pri&ate# to "anifest his religion or belief in teaching# practice# %orship and
obser&ance.
Article 0/,
E&erone has the right to freedo" of opinion and e/pression5 this right includes freedo" to
hold opinions %ithout interference and to see'# recei&e and i"part infor"ation and ideas
through an "edia and regardless of frontiers.
Article 21,
011 E&erone has the right to freedo" of peaceful asse"bl and association.
021 )o one "a be co"pelled to belong to an association.
Article 20,
011 E&erone has the right to ta'e part in the go&ern"ent of his countr# directl or through
freel chosen representati&es.
021 E&erone has the right of e!ual access to public ser&ice in his countr.
041 3he %ill of the people shall be the basis of the authorit of go&ern"ent5 this %ill shall be
e/pressed in periodic and genuine elections %hich shall be b uni&ersal and e!ual suffrage and
shall be held b secret &ote or b e!ui&alent free &oting procedures.
Article 22,
E&erone# as a "e"ber of societ# has the right to social securit and is entitled to reali,ation#
through national effort and international co+operation and in accordance %ith the organi,ation
and resources of each *tate# of the econo"ic# social and cultural rights indispensable for his
dignit and the free de&elop"ent of his personalit.
Article 2+,
011 E&erone has the right to %or'# to free choice of e"plo"ent# to $ust and fa&ourable
conditions of %or' and to protection against une"plo"ent.
021 E&erone# %ithout an discri"ination# has the right to e!ual pa for e!ual %or'.
041 E&erone %ho %or's has the right to $ust and fa&ourable re"uneration ensuring for hi"self
and his fa"il an e/istence %orth of hu"an dignit# and supple"ented# if necessar# b other
"eans of social protection.
061 E&erone has the right to for" and to $oin trade unions for the protection of his interests.
Article 23,
E&erone has the right to rest and leisure# including reasonable li"itation of %or'ing hours and
periodic holidas %ith pa.
Article 24,
011 E&erone has the right to a standard of li&ing ade!uate for the health and %ell+being of
hi"self and of his fa"il# including food# clothing# housing and "edical care and necessar
social ser&ices# and the right to securit in the e&ent of une"plo"ent# sic'ness# disabilit#
%ido%hood# old age or other lac' of li&elihood in circu"stances beond his control.
021 Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children# %hether
born in or out of %edloc'# shall en$o the sa"e social protection.
Article 25,
011 E&erone has the right to education. Education shall be free# at least in the ele"entar and
funda"ental stages. Ele"entar education shall be co"pulsor. 3echnical and professional
education shall be "ade generall a&ailable and higher education shall be e!uall accessible to
all on the basis of "erit.
021 Education shall be directed to the full de&elop"ent of the hu"an personalit and to the
strengthening of respect for hu"an rights and funda"ental freedo"s. 7t shall pro"ote
understanding# tolerance and friendship a"ong all nations# racial or religious groups# and shall
further the acti&ities of the (nited )ations for the "aintenance of peace.
041 Parents ha&e a prior right to choose the 'ind of education that shall be gi&en to their
children.
Article 2-,
011 E&erone has the right freel to participate in the cultural life of the co""unit# to en$o
the arts and to share in scientific ad&ance"ent and its benefits.
021 E&erone has the right to the protection of the "oral and "aterial interests resulting fro"
an scientific# literar or artistic production of %hich he is the author.
Article 2.,
E&erone is entitled to a social and international order in %hich the rights and freedo"s set
forth in this -eclaration can be full reali,ed.
Article 2/,
011 E&erone has duties to the co""unit in %hich alone the free and full de&elop"ent of his
personalit is possible.
021 7n the e/ercise of his rights and freedo"s# e&erone shall be sub$ect onl to such
li"itations as are deter"ined b la% solel for the purpose of securing due recognition and
respect for the rights and freedo"s of others and of "eeting the $ust re!uire"ents of "oralit#
public order and the general %elfare in a de"ocratic societ.
041 3hese rights and freedo"s "a in no case be e/ercised contrar to the purposes and
principles of the (nited )ations.
Article +1,
)othing in this -eclaration "a be interpreted as i"pling for an *tate# group or person an
right to engage in an acti&it or to perfor" an act ai"ed at the destruction of an of the rights
and freedo"s set forth herein.
References:
http899%%%.un.org9en9docu"ents9udhr9 0(ni&ersal -eclaration of :u"an Rights1
http899%%%.la%phil.net9consti9cons1987.ht"l 01987 Philippine Constitution1