MANILA, Philippines—The city council of Calapan in Oriental Mindoro is holding a one-day solidarity fast to protest Environment Secretary Lito Atienza’s issuance of a mining clearance to a Norwegian nickel project, an official said Thursday.

“The city council of Calapan is doing this solidarity fast to show our support to the hunger strikers and to reaffirm our stand against large-scale mining in the province,” said Vice Mayor Rafael Infantado.

Hunger strikers, mostly Mangyans and religious people from Mindoro, have been camped outside the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) head office since November 17.

They are demanding that Atienza revoke the environment compliance certificate (ECC) he issued on October 14, allowing the Oslo-based Intex Resources to mine for nickel 11,216.6 hectares of land in Mindoro.

Atienza on November 18 suspended the ECC for 90 days, a move the protesters decried was only meant to allow Intex’s continued operations in Mindoro.

The ECC was issued despite a 25-year mining ban in Oriental Mindoro province and numerous municipal and village ordinances in Occidental Mindoro opposing the project, said Fr. Edwin Gariguez, one of the hunger strikers.

The $2.4-billion nickel project straddles the municipalities of Victoria, Pola, and Socorro, in Oriental Mindoro, and Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro.

The DENR’s Environmental Impact Assessment Review Committee has recommended the ECC denial for the nickel mine, citing a lack of baseline information on the terrestrial flora and fauna in the project site and public consultations in the direct and indirect impact areas.