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In statements released in January, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, together with its member churches—including the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, United Church of Christ in the Philippines, Episcopal Church in the Philippines, and United Methodist Church—as well as its partner church, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bayombong, expressed grave concern over violence and intimidation linked to mining interests in the area. Local ecumenical and human rights groups have also joined the call for solidarity.
Church leaders emphasized that the situation in Dupax del Norte is not only a political or legal matter, but a moral and spiritual concern. Citing Jeremiah 2:7, the United Church of Christ in the Philippines condemned destructive, large-scale, and foreign-dominated mining that threatens ecosystems, contaminates waterways, displaces Indigenous Peoples and farmers, and deepens poverty.
The National Council of Churches in the Philippines denounced the violent police dispersal of residents who had established a people’s barricade to prevent the entry of mining equipment operated by Woggle Mining Corporation, warning that the incident reflects a broader national pattern in which corporate interests are prioritized over the rights, dignity, and safety of communities.
Churches reiterated their longstanding opposition to large-scale mining and renewed calls to repeal the Mining Act of 1995. They affirmed the rights of Indigenous Peoples to ancestral lands and to genuine free, prior, and informed consent, and called for the immediate suspension of mining operations, an independent investigation into reported violence, accountability of responsible state agencies, and protection for environmental and human rights defenders.
“If we, as church people, do not stand with communities defending land, life, and resources against mining plunder, we fail God’s mission,” said Rev. Deacon Jixy Bumatang, a woman clergy of the Episcopal Diocese of Santiago, Episcopal Church in the Philippines. “In uncertain times, the church is called to bring God’s light, wisdom, hope, and courage—being light and salt to the world.”
Grounded in faith and the call to stewardship of creation, Philippine churches committed themselves to prayer, pastoral accompaniment, and concrete solidarity with affected communities. They also called on ecumenical partners worldwide to stand with the people of Dupax del Norte.
