PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday enjoined neighboring Asian nations to craft measures ensuring climate-resilient economies as he reiterated anew his call for united efforts to combat the effects of climate change.
Speaking at the 55th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Chief Executive said that part of ramping up and sustaining a country’s good economic standing is including climate change mitigation plans.
“I believe that at the heart of this goal is in the way that we must develop an economy that is green, that is sustainable, truly climate-resilient and responsive to people’s immediate needs,” he said. “It is an economy that takes into account the ecosystem from which we harness our resources.”
The Philippines, Marcos assured, will ensure the “efficient and effective” use of foreign assistance, such as those from the ADB, meant to further boost the country’s economic transformation initiative “for the full benefit of all Filipinos,” including protecting the environment as this is intertwined with his administration’s other plans and programs.
“I am truly excited to see the outcome of this meeting, as we set sail towards a better tomorrow that is more resilient, more inclusive, more sensitive to our people’s needs, and more aware of climate change and the crisis that it brings with it ,” the President said.
“We will become living witnesses to the better world that we have worked hard not only for ourselves and our communities, but also for the generations to come,” he said.