Philippines: The right to food of 300 coconut farmers is threatened in San Francisco town, Quezon province, Philippines.

In July 2004, around 300 coconut farmers from the province of Quezon held a camp-out in front of the Department of Agrarian Reform Central Office at Quezon City to demand the coverage and distribution of Matias hacienda, located at San Francisco municipality, Quezon Province. According to the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL), agricultural lands such as the Matias hacienda should have been covered and distributed to farmers beneficiaries from 1988 to 1992. Nevertheless, the land has not yet been placed under the government’s agrarian reform program and the cococut farmers are still working as share tenants under devastating conditions. The right to food of these farmers and their families is threatened because they have no land nor money to feed themselves.    

An urgent international action is necessary to support the demand of the tenants of the Matias hacienda so they are able to realize their right to adequate food. Please write a polite letter to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, requesting her to cover and distribute 2800 hectares of land owned by the Matias family under the agrarian reform law.