Petition opposing mining in Dupax del Norte garners nearly 4,000 signatures

Philippine Canadian Inquirer
February 8, 2026

(Photo courtesy: Greenpeace Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA, Philippines — A community-led petition is actively seeking signatures to oppose the planned mining project in Dupax del Norte, Nueva Viscaya, a corporate move that according to local residents would inevitably put the environment and their local livelihood at risk.

“Our province is known as the Watershed Haven of Region II, supplying clean water to farms, households, and communities downstream,” the petition read. “Dupax del Norte’s fertile lands sustain generations of farmers and provide food security for many families. Allowing large-scale mining here will endanger our environment, livelihoods, and cultural heritage.”

The residents strongly oppose the mining because it threatens their water sources, their agricultural lands, harms the biodiversity, and breaches the rights of indigenous people to live in their ancestral land.

As of writing, the petition has 3,658 signatures out of 4,000, demanding that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Region II, and local government officials uphold the people’s interests before corporate and private interests.

“Mining may bring short-term profits to a few, but it will leave long-term damage to our land, water, and community. We call on all Filipinos to stand with us in defending Dupax del Norte from destructive mining,” the petition added.