VZCZCXYZ0001
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHML #0562/01 0720833
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 130833Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3503
INFO RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK IMMEDIATE 3134
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA IMMEDIATE 6776
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR IMMEDIATE 0991
RHHMUNA/CDRUSPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS MANILA 000562 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KISL KPAO RP USAID
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR ENGAGES COMMUNITIES ON PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT IN 
CENTRAL MINDANAO 
 
¶1. SUMMARY:  The Ambassador completed a March 2-3 trip across 
Central Mindanao to listen first-hand to communities dealing with 
security and development issues on a day-to-day basis. The trip 
began in General Santos City, with stops throughout South Cotabato, 
Sultan Kudarat, and Maguindanao provinces, and finished in Cotabato 
City. Mindanao has long been characterized by repeated episodes of 
conflict, threats to security, and some of the lowest health and 
social indicators in the country, and accordingly receives the 
majority of the U.S. Government development assistance to the 
Philippines. The visit drew attention to the interagency, 
intergovernmental, and community-level efforts that have had a 
positive impact on peace, security, business development, health, 
the environment, and youth. The trip received extensive regional 
media coverage and some national print media coverage. The 
Ambassador took the opportunity to highlight the good work with 
local public and private sector partners, as well as to emphasize 
the need for continued development in Mindanao while working to 
achieve peace.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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INTERAGENCY SUPPORT FOR PHILIPPINE COUNTERNARCOTICS EFFORTS 
---------- 
¶2.  Accompanied by the USAID Mission Director, the Ambassador began 
at Camp Tambler in General Santos City, where she formally turned 
over a Counternarcotics Consolidated Training Center to the 
Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Office 12. The Joint 
Interagency Task Force West (JIATF-W) provided support for the 
renovation of the facilities that are being used for 
counterdrug/counternarcotics (CD/CN) enforcement training. During 
her address to the many PNP officers in attendance, the Ambassador 
applauded U.S.-Philippine cooperation and noted the important role 
of police in ensuring a safe, prosperous society and in defending 
women and children from trafficking. 
 
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A CLEANER, GREENER GENERAL SANTOS CITY 
---------- 
¶3.  The Ambassador then traveled to Notre Dame of Dadiangas High 
School in General Santos City, where she joined some 1,000 jubilant 
students, officials from the environment department and the local 
chamber of commerce, the congressional representative, and the Mayor 
of General Santos to launch the city's solid waste management 
campaign. The campaign is an important component of the 
USAID-supported 10-year integrated solid waste and wastewater 
management plan for the city, known as the tuna capital of the 
Philippines, and whose economy depends on the health and 
productivity of Sarangani Bay. The Ambassador commended the 
enthusiastic commitment by the government, the private sector, and 
schools to maintain a clean, healthy, and beautiful General Santos 
City. 
 
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PROMOTING HEALTHY WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES 
---------- 
¶4. Upon arrival in Polomolok municipality, the Ambassador had lunch 
at the Dole Philippines plantation with key partners working on 
health improvement in South Cotabato Province. Participants included 
the congressional representative, local government officials, 
private business sector representatives, NGOs, and the regional 
directors of Department of Health, Department of Labor and 
Employment, and PhilHealth, the national health insurance 
corporation. The Ambassador facilitated a spirited discussion on 
social health insurance and the contribution of private sector 
employers to provide basic health care for their employees and 
families. The collegial relationship among various Mindanao 
government and private-sector leaders at the lunch meeting 
highlighted the strong cooperation at the local level. 
 
¶5. To view this public-private partnership in action, the Ambassador 
visited a Family Health Fair of the Unified Engineering and Manpower 
Services Multi-purpose Cooperative. Unified Engineering is an almost 
2,000-member-strong cooperative of engineers, architects, and 
skilled workers that provides manpower and engineering services to 
Dole Philippines. With assistance from USAID's private sector health 
project, the cooperative was able to set up an exemplary family 
health services program for their workers. The Ambassador and party 
interacted with a festive crowd at various booths providing 
information and counseling on maternal and child health care, 
nutrition and fortified foods and infectious diseases. Community 
members also had the opportunity to learn about the benefits and 
entitlements of social health insurance. 
 
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STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES THROUGH NEW SKILLS AND IMPROVED MOBILITY 
---------- 
¶6. After the health fair, the Ambassador traveled to Barangay 
Sumbakil in Polomolok municipality, in a picture-perfect setting of 
green rice fields and distant mountains. In the barangay, the 
Ambassador was able to witness the results of a USAID project which 
 
helps farmers' groups to produce higher value crops. The 
beneficiaries of the project in this community were the members of 
the Sumbakil Multi Purpose Cooperative (MPC) whose fifty members are 
former combatants of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). 
Through this project, the ex-combatants have been able to diversify 
from corn to also produce eggplant, bitter gourd, and other more 
lucrative vegetables. A typical farmer-member of this Co-op 
increased income from about PHP 50,000 per year to about PHP 80,000 
per year as a result of the diversification. 
 
¶7. Due to their increase in income, the beneficiaries reported being 
able to send their children to high school, and to make purchases 
such as motorbikes that have greatly increased their mobility and 
the overall quality of life of their families. During the event, the 
Ambassador was presented a scarf as she was proclaimed an adopted 
sister of the barangay women. The party then proceeded to a 
ribbon-cutting to mark the turnover of the Sumbakil Barangay bridge, 
financed by USAID. Before this bridge was built, there was no safe 
crossing for pedestrians and vehicles, and trade was impeded. The 
Ambassador and her party crossed the newly inaugurated bridge to 
harvest eggplant from a field on the other side of the bridge which 
was owned by one of the members of the beneficiary cooperative. 
 
¶8. The visit to Sumbakil reinforced the notion that a small amount 
of resources can have a large impact in terms of peace, prosperity, 
and social development. This sentiment was movingly expressed by the 
chairman of the Sumbakil Multi-purpose Cooperative and ex-commander 
of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) when he stated, "With 
these USAID projects, we are now able to send our children to school 
and enjoy the basic comforts of life. The trust given to us by the 
U.S. Government has inspired our people to work hard and renewed our 
sense of pride as members of society." 
 
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NEW BOOKS, NEW BUILDINGS, BRIGHTER FUTURE 
---------- 
¶9. The Ambassador began the next day with two events promoting both 
traditional and adult education. First, the Ambassador turned over 
the Kakal Elementary school building to the community of Paglat. 
Paglat is one of the 39 target municipalities and cities assisted by 
USAID's education project. The school was built through an alliance 
with the Petron Foundation and a grant to Habitat for Humanity. The 
partnership was developed through support from USAID's education 
project. The new Kakal Elementary School was also the site of the 
graduation of 25 out-of-school-youth who have received vocational 
training in small-engine servicing through the workplace development 
component of the USAID project. Along with the Mayor of Paglat, the 
Department of Education Superintendent and school officials, the 
Ambassador handed the proud graduates a set of tools as each began 
their new careers. 
 
¶10. With the brand new school standing in stark contrast to the old 
open-air structure in the background, the Ambassador conveyed to the 
students "This is your school; this is your future" as she called on 
the students and graduates alike to take advantage of their 
education for a more peaceful and prosperous future. 
 
¶11. The next stop was the municipality of Esperanza where the 
Ambassador was met by the roaring cheers of almost 1500 students and 
staff. The Esperanza Central School is a shining example of 
interagency cooperation and U.S. civil military engagements. The 
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Joint Special 
Operations Task Force- Philippines (JSOTF-P) provide logistical 
support to deliver hundreds of books donated by the USAID education 
project. The Ambassador read one of the books to a group of 
elementary students in their library. 
 
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PEACE AND SECURITY AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL 
---------- 
¶12. During the next leg of the drive from General Santos City into 
Cotabato City, the Ambassador heard from the communities impacted by 
floods, armed conflict and lack of security. In the town of Talayan, 
Maguindanao Province, the Ambassador was briefed by local government 
leaders, municipal health and social welfare workers, 
representatives from Save the Children and the International 
Organization for Migration.  The meeting provided an opportunity to 
hear about the situation of displaced communities, the movement of 
populations, health and social services provided and measures taken 
for resettlement /relocation. Of the 10,545 displaced persons 
reported in Talayan in December 2008, fewer than 2,000 have returned 
home (about 325 families). The Ambassador stated the need to resolve 
the conflict so that people can feel safe to return to their homes, 
and benefit from long-term development efforts in health, education 
and economic growth. 
 
¶13. In Cotabato City, the Ambassador led a discussion about another 
vital component of peace and security in the region. A discussion 
was held at the American Resource Center in Notre Dame University on 
 
the issue of rido (clan conflicts). This security issue does not 
receive as much attention as the conflict between MNLF or MILF and 
the Philippine government but is an important cause of the lack of 
security in the region. The participants (community leaders, NGOs, 
advocacy groups, and clan members themselves) described the 
characteristics of rido and what each is doing to help resolve and 
prevent conflict. The U.S. Government, through USAID, supports The 
Asia Foundation and the Gerry Roxas Foundation to conduct research 
to better understand the dynamics and management of rido and to 
build the capacities of local mediators to peacefully resolve 
existing conflicts between and among clans. 
 
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AN AMERICAN FAVORITE IN COTABATO CITY 
---------- 
¶14. The Ambassador had the opportunity to have lunch at the first 
McDonald's restaurant in Cotabato City, which enjoyed one of the 
largest opening days ever for a McDonald's in the Philippines. She 
was joined by the Mayor of Cotabato City, the McDonald's franchise 
owner, and representatives from McDonald's Philippines. The lunch 
was an opportunity to learn about the company's contribution to 
economic growth in the city and the business environment overall. 
The Ambassador's lunch companions related how, shortly after the 
McDonald's opening in December, the wife of Cotabato City Mayor 
Sema, UNESCO Commissioner Bai Sandra Sema, brought 400 McDonald's 
Happy Meals to the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front's (MILF) Camp 
Abubakar.  Mayor Sema said the resulting festive picnic was an 
enormous success, and suggested that, notwithstanding an August 
flare-up of violence between government troops and the MILF, all 
sides are eager for peace and a return to normalcy. 
 
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GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT 
---------- 
¶15. The Ambassador met several members of the Cotabato regional 
media for an informal conversation at a local coffee shop in 
Cotabato City. The topics ranged from the peace process, U.S. 
government activities in Mindanao, the upcoming Philippine elections 
to the recent U.S. presidential elections. The conversation provided 
an excellent opportunity to clarify the U.S. military role in 
Mindanao, a role that is often misconstrued in the media.  It was 
also a fitting capstone to a 2-day trip in which the Ambassador was 
able to hear from communities about the efforts they were making 
towards peace and development in the region and the partnerships 
with the U.S. Government that were supporting these efforts. 
 
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PARTNERS FOR PEACE 
---------- 
¶16. The Ambassador ended her trip through central Mindanao by 
meeting with the AFP's 6th Infantry Division Deputy Commander, COL 
Joselito Bernardo, and JSOTF-P Task Force Mindanao on the 
collaboration between the two organizations in the region by 
increasing development through peace and security. COL Bernardo 
thanked the Ambassador for the U.S. military's support in training 
his civil affairs teams on population outreach and partnership on 
multiple civil-military projects. The Ambassador also took this 
underscore the vital importance of respect for human rights. 
 
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PROBLEM SOLVERS FROM POWERFUL CLANS 
---------- 
¶17. The Ambassador's encounters with city mayors and other elected 
officials during the visits from General Santos to Cotabato City 
revealed the extent to which local politicians are using their 
authority to seek solutions to challenges that have heretofore been 
inadequately addressed by the national government.  Many mayoral and 
congressional slots across the region will be decided in May 2010 
national elections, including mayors of Cotabato City and General 
Santos, governor of South Cotabato, and South Cotabato's two 
congressional seats.  Family clans that have held some of these 
positions for several terms could stay in power by fielding 
candidates for any of the other available slots. 
 
¶18. General Santos Congresswoman Darlene Antonino-Custodio, whose 
family has held that seat since 1987 and who will have served the 
maximum of three consecutive three-year terms, described to the 
Ambassador over the course of an afternoon how she has used her 
personal political capital and savvy to try to resolve a 
long-running international fishing dispute with Indonesia over 
access to international fishing waters and that country's detention 
of Philippine fishermen accused of encroaching on Indonesia's 
sovereign territory.  Her ability to finally solve the dispute - 
with little help from the Manila political establishment - will be 
important for General Santos's continued success as the country's 
premier tuna processor, and for Antonino-Custodio's own efforts to 
make a lateral move into another elected position. 
 
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COMMENT 
---------- 
¶19. The Ambassador's trip through Central Mindanao highlighted the 
hope and commitment expressed by local communities for their future, 
in the face of periodic armed conflict and unrest, and of persistent 
economic and social challenges. It was evident that people sought 
peace and wanted an opportunity to be heard. They were appreciative 
of U.S. Government resources and, notably, for the U.S. "taking a 
chance" on their communities. Signs of long-term development were 
visible everywhere, including new schools, healthier families, new 
sources of livelihood, and new highways. In addition, business 
investments, whether the McDonald's in Cotabato City, the expansion 
of Dole Philippines, Inc., or the large department store under 
construction in General Santos, offered a preview of the region's 
possibilities. The Ambassador's trip underscored the fact that 
relatively modest resources, paired with a commitment to peace and a 
cooperative spirit, can have a sizeable impact on the region's 
future. 
 
 
KENNEY