Bishop Herman Abcede of Daet has rejected the proposed Paracale Gold Project, warning that the open-pit mining venture threatens water sources, public health, and the long-term future of communities.
In a pastoral statement issued April 24, the bishop said the issue “is not only technical or business-related” but one of “health, conscience, dignity, and the future of humanity”, as he raised concerns over the project of Golden River Mining Corporation.
The diocese said the planned open-pit operation would significantly alter the landscape and generate large volumes of waste containing chemicals such as “cyanide,” putting nearby rivers and groundwater at risk.
Capturing local anxieties, the statement cited a resident’s question: “If there is gold in the land, that is good. But if water, homes, and livelihoods are lost—how will we survive?”
Bishop Abcede warned that mining activities could contaminate waterways and disrupt livelihoods dependent on natural resources. Rivers and streams, he said, “may be polluted by chemicals,” while “fish will be poisoned, and the livelihoods of fisherfolk will be lost.”
The prelate added that the impact extends beyond environmental damage, stressing that “the health of people—especially children and future generations—will be put at risk.”
Describing the broader consequences, the bishop said the project would inflict three interconnected harms: “a wound to nature,” “a wound to people,” and “a wound to the soul of the community,” pointing to environmental degradation, social inequality, and the erosion of communal life.
Drawing from Church teaching, the prelate underscored that environmental protection and social justice are inseparable, noting that “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor are one,” echoing the message of Laudato Si’.
The bishop said the Church cannot remain indifferent in the face of such risks. “As shepherd of the Diocese of Daet, our position is clear: neutrality is not enough when life is at risk,” he said.
He urged government authorities to “put life before profit and listen to the voice of the people,” and called on the mining company to prove that its project would not cause harm, “not only in words but in truth.”
Warning against short-term gains, the bishop said that if gold extraction comes at the cost of “water, the environment, health, and the future,” it “is not a blessing but a temptation that must be rejected.”
He urged communities to protect life and future generations: “Let us choose life. Let us choose the future.”
