President Rodrigo Duterte blamed industrialized countries for the destruction caused by climate change, noting that countries like the Philippines are on the losing end of the effects of pollution they cause.
Torrential rains and back-to-back typhoons have ripped through the country in the past two weeks, turning a once picturesque river into a sea of murky brown, killing dozens and setting off deadly landslides.
President Rodrigo Duterte has warned he will use "extraordinary powers" to push the project through, raising the prospect of another show of mass resistance.
