PHILIPPINES: MANILA: ANGRY FARMERS PLANT RICE ON GOLF COURSE

Tagalog/Nat Farmers in the Philippines stormed a golf course in Manila on Wednesday and planted rice, in a protest over land reform. The demonstration marked the 10th anniversary of a government land-reform programme, which is running behind schedule. After a decade, more than 3-million (m) acres of land has still to be distributed - and farmers claim that some farmland is being sold to industrial developers. Angry farmers burst into this government-operated golf course in Manila on Wednesday, laying rice seedlings on the 10th green in protest of the 10th anniversary of a controversial land reform programme. Under the programme, the Philippines government was supposed to buy and distribute more than 10 million (m) acres of land to landless farmers. Instead, less than seven million (m) acres have been distributed. And the Alliance of Nationalist Farmers said much of that land has been converted into industrial estates, golf courses and housing developments rather than redistributed to landless farmers. The Department of Agrarian Reform says almost 140,000 acres of farm land have been legally converted since 1988. The Philippines Peasant Institute claims much of the distribution is illegal however, and that the figure is closer to 500,000 acres The farmers had intended to dig holes on the golf course to plant the rice. But later, they agreed to a ceremonial planting in which they laid the seedlings in rows on the ground. Several golfers had to skirt the 10th hole during the three-hour protest. Many of the farmers say they come from farms being converted into golf courses and housing developments. SOUNDBITE: (Tagalog) "Today, we are showing that the rampant development of golf courses is the reason why farmers get dislocated, why farmers go hungry, why Filipinos lack food supply especially the farmers. They took the lands that we till, gave the land to the foreigners for a golf course and for industrial and commercial development by foreigners." SUPER CAPTION: Pablo Rosales Alliance of Nationalist Farmers Philippines President-elect Joseph Estrada has promised that the land use reform programme will be one of his top priorities. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/d3b06822868cdfe8621c6dd081bd3e99 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork