Peter B. Favila, The Philippines’ Trade and Industry Secretary, gave a minor endorsement of building a gambling destination in the country to boost its foreign investments, reports the Philippine Daily Inquirer, a Philippine newspaper.
He spoke to the country’s House of Representatives on Monday and said, “I know the sensibilities of certain sectors. I know the sensibilities of the Church, but we might be missing [on the opportunity here].”
According to the newspaper, the Philippines brought in $2 billion in foreign direct investment during 2007 while neighboring Singapore and Malaysia grossed $8 to $10 billion.