LUKBAN
suspended but people in the pueblos should exert efforts“ to expel the enemy as has been heretofore been done.”
But he always reminded people to continue planting food crops, like palay, corn, gabi, sweet potatoes and other tubers, stressing on a variety of palay that could be harvested in 100 days, so that in case of war, which will suspend traffic for an indefinite period, they will have no reason to complain because they will have something to eat. He urged the junta popular( municipal council) of any pueblo to try any person for laziness and report this to government. 4
Land reform
Still consistent with his program to promote food production and self-reliance, Lukban required the persons in-charge of revenues in each pueblo to make a list of all those working on their lands and to report this to the revolutionary government, countersigned by the local chief. As for those not engaged in warfare and were likewise not involved in agriculture, they were told to look for flat parcels of land in the public forests so these could be cultivated and planted with palay. These they could possess as their own, he said.
“ Those who may have worked and ploughed these lands shall be considered as owners thereof and no one can disturb their ownership or possession, which shall be applied for to this government through the respective juntas of each pueblo by the same parties concerned who may have done the ploughing, in order that they may be given provisional title pending the supreme decision,” Lukban stated in his decree, in what may have been the first attempt at land reform in the country. He ordered the local chiefs to strictly comply with his decree, requiring them to submit the names of the persons who complied with his order. 5
The continuing economic blockade in both Leyte and Samar caused a sharp decline in trading, affecting the revenues of the government. As a result, Lukban could no longer remit funds to Aguinaldo as he had to use whatever collection they had for the soldiers. The prices of basic commodities also increased. Besides the two-year old blockade, Samar was invaded by a locust plague and typhoons. Money had become generally scarce, so were other resources. Lukban had to devise other means to be able to collect something for his revolutionary army. In one decree, he authorized all the pueblos to open their cockpits, charging an entrance fee of P0.50 and 10 percent additional collection on all debts. These collections were to defray the expenses of war. 6
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