US embassy cable - 05MANILA5790

UNCLAS MANILA 005790 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR OES/ENV/JTHOMPSON 
USDOC FOR 4430 ITA/MAC/DBISMEE/KBOYD 
BANGKOK FOR REO JAMES WALLER 
STATE PASS USAID FOR JLEWIS 
STATE PASS DEPT OF INTERIOR FOR USGS JMEDLIN AND GCOAKLEY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, AORC, EAGR, ETRD, PREL, PINS, EMIN, RP 
SUBJECT: GRP WILL SUPPORT U.S. AT MONTREAL PROTOCOL MEETING 
 
REF: A. A) STATE 218123 
     B. B) MANILA 5457 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified - Protect Accordingly 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (SBU) Charge met with Department of Environment and 
Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Defensor on December 7 and 
delivered points in ref A.  Defensor said he would instruct 
the GRP's delegation to support approval of a critical use 
exemption for the United States (26.4 percent) in accordance 
with the recommendation of the technical committee in the 
Montreal Protocol.  Charge and Defensor also discussed USAID 
programs and the mining sector. 
 
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SUPPORT FOR U.S. POSITION AT THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL MEETING 
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2.  (SBU)  Charge delivered ref A points urging GRP support 
for critical use exemption for the U.S. as recommended by the 
technical committee: 26.4 percent of the 1991 U.S. baseline 
consumption level.  Defensor agreed to support this position 
at the upcoming Montreal Protocol Meetings of the Parties in 
Dakar.  He stated that he would so instruct DENR Director 
Donna Gordove, the senior DENR representative in the 
delegation headed to Dakar. 
 
3.  (SBU)  Post is also coordinating with the Department of 
Foreign Affairs to ensure that the GRP's delegation is 
unified in its support for our position.  The formal head of 
the GRP delegation will be Charge d'Affaires Bernaditas 
Muller at the Philippine Embassy in Nairobi. 
 
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ILLEGAL LOGGING 
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4.  (U) Defensor said the GRP intends to expand law 
enforcement activities to combat illegal logging.  Charge 
welcomed Defensor to encourage non-governmental organizations 
to apply for grants from the Philippine Tropical Forest 
Conservation Foundation (PTFCF) to support DENR's 
initiatives.  PTFCF will release its second request for 
proposals in early 2006. 
 
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MINERAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT 
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5.  (SBU) Defensor said DENR will identify funding to support 
a contract with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct 
a joint mineral resources assessment of the Philippines (ref 
B) and added, "I'm sure we can get it."  Defensor responded 
favorably to Charge's recommendation that USGS and DENR 
explore the potential benefits of surveying minerals in 
cooperation with Geoscience Australia.  Although employment 
and investment in the mining sector increased this year, 
Defensor acknowledged that potential investors continue to be 
concerned about the insurgency in Mindanao. 
 
Jones