U.S. Ambassador Addresses National Philippine Pollution Prevention Roundtable

MANILA, October 6, 1997--U.S. Ambassador Thomas C. Hubbard addressed the First National Philippine Pollution Prevention Roundtable (a discussion on environmental conservation and pollution prevention) on October 8 in Makati City.

The program focussed on water pollution problems inherent in the country's water crisis. It included discussions on the government-industry dialogue, the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), success stories, impact of sewage on water quality, and examples of clean technologies that can be used to improve the quality of the country's rivers and lakes

The speakers included senior environmental policy-makers such as Undersecretary Delfin Ganapin of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Undersecretary Melito Salazar, Jr. of the Department of Trade and Industry. Kevin McDonald of the U.S. National Pollution Prevention Roundtable and representatives of Wyeth Philippines and the University of the Philippines at Los Banos also spoke.

The event was co-sponsored by the Philippine Pollution Prevention Roundtable (PPPR), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States-Asia Environmental Partnership (US-AEP).

The PPPR is a multisectoral group convened in June 1997 by industry, government, academic and NGO representatives. The group aims to increase awareness of the need for and benefits of cleaner production methods in place of efforts to solve pollution problems after they have occurred. The PPPR also hopes to provide a venue for negotiated and shared objectives among the government, private industry and NGO representatives working on better methods and pollution control.

Interest in creating the PPPR was sparked after its organizers--Dr. Olivia L. Castillo of the University of Asia and the Pacific, Dr. Reynaldo Lantin of the University of the Philippines Los Banos, and Amelia Supetran of the Environmental Management Bureau, DENR--participated in a U.S. National Pollution Prevention Roundtable conference in Denver, Colorado, through the auspices of the US-AEP Environmental Exchange Program. The US-AEP is supporting the formation of roundtables in ten Asian countries through exchanges and training.

For more information, please contact Lisa Lumbao in the Philippines (tel: 63-2-750-7086) or Kevin McDonald in Washington, DC (tel: 202-466-7272).