US embassy cable - 05MANILA5291

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 005291 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/IHA FOR JKAUFMANN 
STATE FOR INR/EAP FOR JSTROTZ 
STATE PASS USDA/FAS/ICD FOR ROSENBLUM 
STATE PASS USDA/FAS/DL&P FOR MAGINNIS 
STATE PASS USDA/FAS/ITP/AA FOR ALEXANDER 
STATE PASS USDA/FAS/FAA FOR HAGER 
STATE PASS USDA/APHIS/IS FOR HOFFMAN 
STATE PASS USDA/APHIS/VS FOR DUVERNOY 
STATE PASS USDA/ARS/SEPRL FOR SUAREZ 
STATE PASS USAID FOR DCARROLL AND ACLEMENTS 
BANGKOK FOR REO JAMES WALLER 
CIA FOR NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE COUNCIL NIO/EA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON, PINR, SOCI, EAGR, SENV, TBIO, TSPL, RP 
SUBJECT: NEW AVIAN FLU "CZAR" WILL FOCUS ON PREVENTION 
 
REF: A) STATE 151549 
 
     B) MANILA 2053 
     C) MANILA 3883 
     D) MANILA 4278 
     E) MANILA 5059 
 
1.  On November 2, President Arroyo appointed Department 
of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Domingo Panganiban as the 
"anti-Avian Flu Czar" supervising avian flu preparedness. 
Panganiban will lead the National Avian Influenza Task 
Force (NAITF) that coordinates inter-agency efforts to 
prevent and control HPAI outbreaks. The appointment 
follows several public statements by Arroyo and her 
cabinet members promising increased funding and 
intensified efforts for HPAI preparedness.  On October 
27, Panganiban announced Project Blue, a 52.9 million 
peso (roughly $1 million) DA initiative to restrict the 
transportation of poultry, limit exposure of poultry to 
migratory birds and raise public awareness of avian flu. 
These announcements reflect heightened concern over the 
threat posed by migratory birds from October through 
March and increasing focus on prevention of HPAI in 
poultry. 
 
2.  In tandem with Panganiban, President Arroyo appointed 
Secretary Cerge Remonde, Head of the Government Mass 
 
SIPDIS 
Media Group to intensify information campaign and make 
the general public aware on the serious threat of the 
disease.  The President also enlisted the support of 
private creative media experts to assist in the 
information drive. With a limited surveillance 
capability, an aggressive public awareness program would 
be crucial in disease detection and response. 
 
3.  The appointment of Panganiban for now places the DA 
in the lead role in HPAI preparedness in order to focus 
on prevention.  The GRP previously designated Health 
Secretary Francisco Duque as crisis manager for avian 
 
SIPDIS 
influenza with Panganiban as the co-crisis manager.  As 
reported in ref D, two lead GRP agencies will continue to 
manage Avian Flu preparedness: the DA's Bureau of Animal 
Industry supervises AI preparedness for stages 1 and 2 - 
prevention and control of HPAI in poultry - while the DOH 
Program Manager for Emerging Infectious Diseases manages 
preparedness for stages 3 and 4 - prevention and control 
of HPAI in humans. 
 
4.  The NAITF also relies on the Department of 
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to conduct 
surveillance of migratory birds while the Bureau of 
Customs and the Philippine Coast Guard maintain border 
measures to block imports of HPAI-infected birds.  The 
GRP has created local task forces in all regions, 
including representatives of local government units 
(LGUs), DA, DOH and the Philippine National Police (PNP) 
to support surveillance and prepare for potential HPAI 
outbreaks.  BAI plans to call for each regional task 
force to establish teams for rapid action, surveillance, 
quarantine and information campaigns. 
 
5.  Comment: The appointment of an Anti-Avian Flu Czar 
coincides with mounting public attention to the avian flu 
threat and it reflects a growing focus on prevention of 
avian flu in poultry.  Given the GRP's limited 
surveillance and control capacity (reported in ref E), 
stepped up public information campaigns can serve an 
important role in encouraging public cooperation to 
identify and contain possible HPAI outbreaks.  If funding 
promises are fulfilled, the DA should make some progress 
in improving preparedness and raising public awareness of 
avian flu.  Further funding may be required to equip HPAI 
control teams and to ensure the indemnification and 
cooperation of poultry farmers. End Comment. 
 
 
JONES