Manila Mayor Isko Moreno (FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines needs mining, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso told listeners of a church-run radio station on Monday, as he stood firm on his position that the government must maximize all available resources to recover from the pandemic.
Interviewed on Radio Veritas, the Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer acknowledged the Catholic Church’s opposition to mining due to social and environmental concerns, but he said it was more important to see the big picture.
Domagoso, 47, said there was a way to balance the interests of communities that might be ravaged by mining and the need to support the welfare of the next generation.
“We will meet them halfway. It’s about visualizing the big picture. [We can] protect the welfare of indigenous peoples and at the same time ensure that the next generation will benefit from our resources,” he said.
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