A critical idea that was notably absent from the final draft of the 1987 Constitution is the principle that land is the shared inheritance of all Filipinos. Historically, this idea has deep roots in both indigenous traditions and reformist thought. Before colonization, many Filipino communities held land communally. In the 19th century, Filipino reformers and nationalists, influenced by thinkers like Henry George, emphasized that land should benefit the whole people—not just a privileged few.
Yet, despite land reform being a major political issue throughout the 20th century, the 1987 Constitution stopped short of declaring land as the common inheritance of all. While Article XII does affirm that natural resources are owned by the State and should be used to promote national welfare, it frames land largely as property that can be privately owned—subject to regulation but not fundamentally reimagined.
This omission has had real consequences. By failing to assert a collective claim to land's value, the Constitution left intact systems that allow wealth to accumulate through land ownership alone, reinforcing economic inequality. Land reform programs have struggled against this entrenched legal and ideological foundation.
Reintroducing the idea of land as a shared inheritance could inspire new frameworks for justice and development—ones that recognize the Earth as a birthright, not a commodity. As debates over inequality, housing, and environmental degradation continue, this forgotten principle may yet find its way back into the nation’s conscience.