Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 11) — President Rodrigo Duterte told world economic leaders there is a need to promote digital literacy to include rural communities, and support for developing countries to adapt to, and mitigate climate change.
During the 2021 APEC Business Advisory Council Dialogue, Duterte called for “greater public-private collaboration” in addressing challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of climate change.
He emphasized the importance of “digital inclusion” that would include vulnerable groups.
“This will help increase the economic productivity of marginalized groups under the new normal,” he said during the event, according to his office’s statement.
For this to happen, the President said there should be infrastructure for accessible, stable, and affordable energy supply in remote areas.
Duterte also touted a national Social Protection Floor, which will guarantee social security benefits that will also cover those from the informal sector and the gig economy.
The digital divide was made evident during the pandemic, when students and workers were forced to turn to distance learning and teleconferencing. Appeals for provisions such as internet load and devices continued even after a year since the health crisis had sprung.
As for battling climate change, Duterte called on developed countries to help developing nations by providing “sustainable, scaled-up and predictable support” in the form of climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building.
“In the interest of climate justice, we need these to transition to climate-smart development and adapt to and mitigate the worsening effects of climate change,” the President said.
He made the exact same appeal in his speech at the 76th United Nations General Assembly in September.
The call comes amid the last few days of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland. Environment groups have also highlighted the need for more funds to fight the climate crisis.
