A church-led petition calling for a 25-year mining moratorium in Palawan island has received more than 100,000 signatures in just two months.

On Tuesday, the Palawan Ecumenical Fellowship (PEF), a coalition of 10 Christian churches, submitted more than a thousand additional signatures to Bishop Socrates Mesiona of Puerto Princesa.

The signatures were handed over by Bishop Fernando Quintans of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) to support the campaign to protect the island’s environment.

“Considering the detrimental effects of mining on the livelihoods of local farmers, fishermen, and indigenous peoples, let’s give nature a rest,” Mesiona said.

Last week, approximately 100,000 physical and online signatures were presented to the Palawan provincial board as part of efforts to push for a mining moratorium ordinance.

The signature drive was backed by various civil society organizations and non-governmental groups (NGOs).

In late November, Catholic bishops in the island released a pastoral letter calling for an immediate halt to the expansion of mining activities in the country’s “Last Ecological Frontier.”

The letter was signed by Mesiona, Bishop Broderick Pabillo of Taytay, and retired Bishop Edgardo Juanich.

The bishops expressed concern over the growing number of mining exploration permits in the province, which now include more than 67 applications covering over 200,000 hectares across Puerto Princesa and 13 other towns.

“We are calling for a 25-year moratorium or suspension on the approval of any mining applications and mining expansions,” the bishops said.

There are currently 11 active mining operations are operating in Palawan, covering about 29,430 hectares, according to the bishops.

They also called for the creation of “no-go zones” for mining, especially in ecologically sensitive areas like old-growth forests and watersheds.