The legal landscape of agricultural land ownership and tenancy in the Philippines is primarily governed by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL), or Republic Act No. 6657, and the Code of Agrarian Reforms (Republic Act No. 3844). When agricultural land is inherited, the transition of ownership from the original landowner to their heirs does not extinguish the legal relationship between the land and the tenant farmer.

The following sections outline the specific rights, protections, and obligations of tenant farmers when agricultural land changes hands through inheritance.

1. Security of Tenure and Non-Extinguishment

The most fundamental right of a tenant farmer is the Security of Tenure. Under Section 10 of R.A. No. 3844, the agricultural leasehold relation is not extinguished by the expiration of the period of the leasehold contract, nor by the sale, alienation, or transfer of the legal possession of the landholding.

Inheritance as Transfer: Inheritance is considered a legal transfer of ownership. Consequently, the heirs of the deceased landowner (the new owners) step into the shoes of the decedent.
Continuity: The new owners are legally bound to respect the existing tenancy or leasehold relationship. The tenant cannot be ejected simply because the land has a new owner.

2. Right to Continued Cultivation

A tenant farmer has the right to continue working the land under the same terms and conditions agreed upon with the original owner. The heirs cannot unilaterally change the crop-sharing agreement or lease rental unless a new agreement is voluntarily reached or a court orders a modification based on legal grounds.

3. Right of Redemption and Pre-emption

In cases where the heirs decide to sell the inherited agricultural land to a third party, the tenant farmer possesses "preferential rights":

Right of Pre-emption: If the heirs decide to sell the land, the tenant has the first priority to purchase it under reasonable terms and conditions.
Right of Redemption: If the land is sold to a third party without the tenant’s knowledge or consent, the tenant has the right to redeem the property within a specific timeframe (usually 180 days from notice) at a price determined by the court or the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

4. Grounds for Dispossession

While tenants have strong protections, their rights are not absolute. Heirs may only dispossess a tenant through a final and executory order from the Department of Agrarian Reform Adjudication Board (DARAB) based on specific legal grounds, such as:

Non-payment of lease rental (unless caused by crop failure or force majeure).
Failure of the tenant to employ proven farm practices.
Substantial damage to the land due to the tenant's negligence.
The tenant uses the land for a purpose other than what was agreed upon.

5. Compensation for Improvements

If a tenancy is legally terminated or if the land is eventually covered by the government’s land distribution program, the tenant is entitled to compensation for:

Disturbance compensation (if the land is converted to non-agricultural use).
The value of labor and expenses for improvements made on the land that are necessary for its cultivation.

6. Succession of Tenancy

Just as ownership passes to the heirs of the landowner, tenancy rights also pass to the heirs of the tenant farmer. In the event of the tenant’s death, the leasehold relation continues between the landowner and the surviving spouse or the direct descendants who are capable of personally cultivating the land.

7. The Role of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)

All disputes arising from the inheritance of tenanted agricultural land—including fixing lease rentals or attempts at illegal ejectment—fall under the primary jurisdiction of the DAR. The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) continues to oversee the potential redistribution of these lands to the actual tillers, regardless of whether the land was recently inherited.

Key Legal Protections at a Glance

Right	Legal Basis	Description
Security of Tenure	R.A. 3844, Sec. 10	Tenancy follows the land, regardless of owner.
Pre-emption	R.A. 3844, Sec. 11	Priority right to buy the land if offered for sale.
Redemption	R.A. 3844, Sec. 12	Right to buy back land sold to third parties.
Disturbance Compensation	R.A. 6657	Payment required if land use is converted.

Note: Under current Philippine jurisprudence, "implied tenancy" can also exist if the heirs allow the farmer to continue cultivating the land and accept shares of the harvest over a significant period, even without a written contract.