More than 100,000 people have signed a church-led petition urging a 25-year mining moratorium in Palawan, as religious and environmental groups push for stricter protections against mining activities on the island.
According to Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) News, Bishop Socrates Mesiona of Puerto Princesa received over a thousand additional signatures from the Palawan Ecumenical Fellowship (PEF), a coalition of 10 Christian churches, on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Bishop Fernando Quintans of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) personally handed over the signatures to Mesiona in support of the campaign.
“Considering the detrimental effects of mining on the livelihoods of local farmers, fishermen, and indigenous peoples, let’s give nature a rest,” Mesiona said in a statement.
Broad support for moratorium
Last week, approximately 100,000 physical and online signatures were presented to the Palawan provincial board as part of ongoing efforts to pass a local ordinance enforcing a mining moratorium.
The initiative has gained backing from civil society organizations and non-governmental groups.
In November, Catholic bishops in the island issued a pastoral letter demanding an immediate halt to the expansion of mining operations in Palawan, known as the country’s “Last Ecological Frontier.”
The letter was signed by Mesiona, Bishop Broderick Pabillo of Taytay, and retired Bishop Edgardo Juanich.
“We are calling for a 25-year moratorium or suspension on the approval of any mining applications and mining expansions,” the bishops stated.
They raised concerns over the increasing number of mining exploration permits, which now total 67 applications covering more than 200,000 hectares across Puerto Princesa and 13 other towns.
“There must be ‘no-go zones’ for mining, especially in ecologically sensitive areas like old-growth forests and watersheds,” they added.
Growing mining footprint
Per the bishops, there are currently 11 active mining operations in Palawan, covering about 29,430 hectares.
The church leaders fear that continued mining expansion will cause irreversible damage to the province’s rich biodiversity.
Palawan, an island province in the western Philippines, is considered one of the country’s most ecologically significant areas.
As such, Palawan is home to the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, a marine biodiversity hotspot.
The province has long been at the center of environmental debates, with conservationists warning that large-scale mining could endanger its forests, wildlife, and indigenous communities.