VZCZCXRO9836
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHML #3605/01 3110546
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 070546Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8817
INFO RHHMUNA/CDRUSPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 003605 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MTS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD PREL APEC CASC BTIO BEXP EAIR ECON RP
SUBJECT:  DCM visit to Davao spotlights youth, business and 
environmental programs 
 
REF: Manila 2422 
 
     Manila 2672 
 
¶1. (U)  Summary:  During an October 24-25 visit to Mindanao's 
largest city, the Deputy Chief of Mission joined local government 
leaders and U.S. businesses to inaugurate the ninth annual Davao 
Trade Expo, featuring the largest number of U.S. companies ever to 
participate.  The DCM also spoke to a hundred youth leaders who had 
participated in State Department exchanges; was interviewed on the 
most popular regional TV morning show; visited with beneficiaries of 
a U.S. Department of Agriculture-supported River Conservation and 
Clean-Up project; toured a G/TIP/USAID-supported halfway house for 
victims of trafficking in persons; and discussed security threats in 
Central Mindanao with the regional commander for the Armed Forces of 
the Philippines.  The visit re-emphasized themes from the 
Ambassador's previous travels to Davao, during which she praised the 
success of Davao area businesses as evidence that progress toward 
peace can result in increased investment and prosperity (reftels). 
End Summary. 
 
DAVAO CITY 
 
¶2. (SBU) Davao City is growing well economically, and is generally 
peaceful and secure, in contrast to the 1970's and 1980's when 
criminal gangs and the New People's Army of the Communist Party were 
far more active.  However, the city has a high incidence of alleged 
vigilante killings.  South Eastern Mindanao, while primarily 
agricultural, is developing into a center for agro-industrial 
business, trade, and tourism, and seeks stronger links to markets in 
other parts of Mindanao, Brunei Darussalam, and parts of Malaysia 
and Indonesia.  City government is run by a father-daughter tandem, 
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and the Vice Mayor, Sara Duterte.  Mayor 
Duterte is averse to U.S. involvement in his city, opposing 
Balikatan joint training exercises because he believes the presence 
of U.S. military personnel will attract terrorist attacks.  He is 
also highly critical of U.S. travel warnings regarding Mindanao, 
considering them counter-productive to boosting tourism.  He 
generally avoids contact with Embassy Country Team Members, as he 
did during this trip. 
 
YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM - PHILIPPINES 
 
¶3. (U) This program brings Muslim and non-Muslim youth from Mindanao 
to study conflict resolution and inter-ethnic understanding for one 
month at Northern Illinois University and live with local families, 
while strengthening relationships between the people of the United 
States and the Philippines.  At the closing ceremony of a three-day 
reunion of program alumni, the Deputy Chief of Mission handed out 
awards and certificates of completion to the 96 highly enthusiastic 
students, who told stories of the conflict in their respective areas 
and how much the exchange program has helped them deliver messages 
of peace, inter-ethnic dialogue, and conflict resolution. 
 
DAVAO RIVER CONSERVATION PROJECT 
 
¶4. (U) A large crowd of local residents greeted the DCM when he 
arrived at the banks of the Davao River.  The local leaders 
described their project and expressed thanks for U.S. government 
financial support, which is helping to keep the river cleaner, 
maintain fishing resources, and provide sustainable alternatives for 
agriculture and fishing.  The DCM planted a mangrove tree, used at 
the site to prevent erosion; some residents use mangrove leaves to 
feed livestock, and the bark of the trees to weave into fiber.  This 
project, otherwise known as "TIN-AW" (Timely Intervention and 
Natural Approaches to Watershed Management) is funded by the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture's Food for Progress program and 
implemented by Catholic Relief Services through two local 
non-governmental organizations:  People Collaborating for 
Environmental and Economic Management, and Protect the Davao River 
Movement. 
 
AMERICAN SHOWCASE AT THE DAVAO TRADE EXPO 
 
¶5. (U)  A record 16 U.S. brands had representatives at the "American 
Showcase", the highlight of this year's 9th annual Davao Trade Expo. 
 In addition to the U.S. pavilion within the local trade show, 58 
"new-to-market" U.S. firms were part of a catalog exhibition 
presenting business opportunities.  The catalog exhibition was 
staffed by employees of the U.S. Commercial Service.  The Davao 
program was the third and final stop of this major U.S. business 
road show, following successful stops in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro 
earlier this month.  The DCM participated in a ribbon cutting 
ceremony and then toured the Showcase, along with regional business 
and government officials, including Davao Oriental governor Corazon 
Nuez-Malanyaon.  The DCM highlighted increased participation by 
U.S. businesses at the Davao Expo and the positive impact U.S 
 
MANILA 00003605  002 OF 002 
 
 
business had on the Philippines as good corporate citizens.  He took 
advantage of heavy press coverage of the event to encourage the 
people of the Davao region to keep working hard for peace, which, in 
turn, would attract more business investment to their area. 
 
VISAYAN FORUM FOUNDATION HALFWAY HOUSE 
 
¶6.  (U) The DCM then visited the Visayan Forum Foundation's Halfway 
House for victims of human trafficking at the Port of Davao.  The 
Visayan Forum Foundation works for the welfare of marginalized 
migrants, especially those working in the invisible and informal 
sectors, such as domestic workers.  State and USAID funds support 
operation of Visayan Forum Halfway Houses at several ports across 
the Philippines, including Davao.  The Port manager showed the DCM 
the various areas of the Port where trafficking victims could be 
identified and rescued with assistance from port security officials 
and alert employees.  He noted that some port areas will be 
remodeled and new construction undertaken in the near future to 
improve port facilities and the ability to deal with the problems of 
trafficking. 
 
EASTMINCOM 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The DCM met with the new Eastern Mindanao Commander of the 
Armed Forces of the Philippines, Lt. Gen. Cardozo Luna, who 
described the security challenges he faces in his area, which 
includes all of mainland Mindanao, except for the Zamboanga 
peninsula and the Sulu archipelago.  Drawing on his experience as a 
brigade commander in Central Mindanao, Luna pointed to the need to 
develop the enormous Liguasan Marsh region, in which terrorists and 
other lawless elements find refuge. 
 
¶8. (SBU) General Luna praised the Balikatan exercises as a welcome 
annual event whose public image has productively evolved from "war 
games and beach-landings" to Civil-Military and Community Relations 
events.  When asked what military assets are needed to improve 
EASTMINCOM's capability, Gen. Luna responded that EASTMINCOM would 
benefit from more helicopters and small boats for use in operations 
in the Liguasan Marsh of Central Mindanao.  Similarly to other 
current senior Philippine Commanders in Mindanao, Luna takes a 
holistic approach to countering insurgents.  He described the most 
effective approach to the Communist New People's Army as placing 
Philippine Special Operations soldiers inside key villages with 
resources to conduct civil-military projects.  Sensitive to the 
political environment, Luna said that he could not support hosting a 
full-time U.S. liaison officer from JSOTF-P, but he welcomed visits 
to coordinate activities at his headquarters level.  He was 
enthusiastic about the U.S.-Philippines military relationship, and 
related the high regard in which senior officers hold Ambassador 
Kenney. 
 
 
Visit Embassy Manila's Classified SIPRNET website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm 
 
You can also access this site through the State Department's 
Classified SIPRNET website: http://www.state.sgov.gov 
 
 
KENNEY