The three Catholic bishops of Samar Island have united behind a campaign urging local governments to formally oppose mining after the government approved a mineral exploration permit covering parts of Eastern Samar.
In a joint endorsement issued Thursday, the bishops backed a pastoral position statement from the Diocese of Borongan urging the municipal and barangay councils of Giporlos and Balangiga to pass resolutions rejecting mining activities within their jurisdictions.
They said their appeal is rooted in Samar’s decades of experience with mining and mineral exploration, particularly in Brgy. Bagacay in Hinabangan, Samar, and the islands of Homonhon and Manicani in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, where extractive activities have caused long-standing environmental damage and social concerns.
“Our concern is rooted in Samar’s own experience. The stories of Bagacay, Homonhon and Manicani, together with ongoing mineral exploration in other parts of mainland Samar, remind us that decisions on mineral development have lasting consequences for communities and the environment,” the statement said.
The endorsement was signed through the Samar Island Partnership for Peace and Development by Bishop Crispin Varquez of Borongan, Bishop Isabelo Abarquez of Calbayog and Bishop Nolly Buco of Catarman.
The appeal followed the Mines and Geosciences Bureau’s approval of an exploration permit covering about 902.99 hectares in the towns of Giporlos and Balangiga in Eastern Samar.
Although the permit authorizes only mineral exploration, the Diocese of Borongan warned it could become the first step toward commercial mining operations across the area.
“This makes it both timely and necessary for our communities and local government units to discern and express their position,” the diocesan pastoral statement said.
The diocese urged local councils to exercise their authority under the Constitution and the Local Government Code by adopting resolutions opposing mining while affirming their commitment to protect the environment and future generations.
The statement acknowledged that mining projects often promise jobs and economic growth but warned they also bring documented risks, including forest and watershed degradation, polluted rivers and coastal waters, loss of farmland and fishing grounds, erosion, flooding, landslides and social conflict.
The bishops also highlighted Eastern Samar’s vulnerability to typhoons, saying healthy forests, watersheds and coastal ecosystems provide natural protection against disasters while sustaining agriculture, fisheries and rural livelihoods.
Quoting Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, the diocese said authentic development cannot be measured by economic gains alone but by respect for human dignity, creation and future generations.
“Development should never come at the expense of human dignity or the integrity of creation,” the bishops said. “True progress is measured not only by economic gains but also by the protection of communities, ecological sustainability, and peace founded on justice.”
The bishops also urged municipal and barangay councils across Samar Island to adopt policies protecting forests, rivers, farmlands and fishing grounds, saying safeguarding creation is a shared responsibility owed to future generations.
