Furthermore, that the concept of “agrarian dispute” is not merely

confined to those cases of landowner-tenant relationship under RA 3844 as

amended. This concept has already been expanded.

Under DAR Administrative Order No. 03-11, the Revised Rules and
Regulations Implementing Section 19 of RA 9700 (Jurisdiction on and
Referral of Cases that are Agrarian in Nature), it is provided that:

“SECTION 1. Prefatory Statement. – Section 19 of RA 9700

provides:

SEC. 19. Section 50 of RA 6657, as amended, is hereby

further amended by adding Section 50-A to read as
follows:

“Section 50-A. Exclusive Jurisdiction on Agrarian

Dispute. – No court or prosecutor’s office shall take
cognizance of cases pertaining to the implementation of
the CARP except those provided under Section 57 of RA
6657, as amended. If there is an allegation from any of the
parties that the case is agrarian in nature and one of the
parties is a farmer, farmworker or tenant, the case shall be
automatically referred by the judge or the prosecutor to the
DAR which shall determine and certify within fifteen (15)
days from referral whether an agrarian dispute exists.

Xxx

SECTION 9. Facts Tending to Prove that a Case is

Agrarian in Nature. In addition to the instances mentioned in
Section 7 hereof, the Chief of the Legal Division, or the DAR
lawyer or legal officer assigned, in determining whether the
cases is agrarian in nature, shall be guided by the following
facts and circumstances:

Xxx

2. The land subject of the case is agricultural;

Xxx

5. The land subject of the case is covered by a Certificate

of Land Ownership Award (CLOA), Emancipation Patent
(EP) or other title issued under the agrarian reform program
 and that the case involves the right of possession, use and
ownership thereof;

The existence of one or more of the foregoing circumstances

may be sufficient to justify a conclusion that the case is
agrarian in nature. The Chief of the Legal Division, or the DAR
lawyer or legal officer assigned, shall accordingly conclude
that the case is agrarian in nature cognizable by the DAR, and
thus recommend that the referred case is not proper for trial.”
(underscoring supplied)

Thus, the expanded concept of “agrarian dispute or agrarian reform

matter” has been upheld by the Supreme Court in the case of Islanders Carp-
Farmers Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Inc., v. Lapanday
Agricultural and Development Corporation,1 the High Court explained that
even if the relationship between the parties is not one of tenancy or
agricultural leasehold, the controversy was still within the sphere of agrarian
disputes, to wit:

“In the present case, the fifth element of personal

cultivation is clearly absent. Petitioner is thus correct in
claiming that the relationship between the parties is not
one of tenancy or agricultural leasehold. Nevertheless,
we believe that the present controversy still falls within
the sphere of agrarian disputes.

An agrarian dispute "refers to any controversy relating to

tenurial arrangements -- whether leasehold, tenancy,
stewardship or otherwise -- over lands devoted to agriculture.
Such disputes include those concerning farm workers’
associations or representations of persons in negotiating,
fixing, maintaining, changing or seeking to arrange terms or
conditions of such tenurial arrangements. Also included is any
controversy relating to the terms and conditions of transfer of
ownership from landowners to farm workers, tenants and
other agrarian reform beneficiaries -- whether the disputants
stand in the proximate relation of farm operator and
beneficiary, landowner and tenant, or lessor and lessee."

It is clear that the above definition is broad enough to

include disputes arising from any tenurial arrangement
beyond that in the traditional landowner-tenant or lessor-
lessee relationship.” (emphases and underscoring supplied)

1
G. R. No. 159089; 03 May 2006
 Here, as clearly shown, there are two circumstances that this case
meet: (1) that the land subject of the case is agricultural as it is covered by
OLT under PD 27, and (2) that the land subject of this case is covered by an
EP under the agrarian reform program and that the case involves the right of
possession, use and ownership thereof.

Since the existence of two or more circumstances enumerated under

DAR AO No. 03-11 may be sufficient to justify the conclusion that the case
is agrarian in nature, the instant case is beyond dispute to be within the
jurisdiction of this Board.