Advocacy groups in the Philippines say opposition to the Marcos administration’s US-backed “Pax Silica” project is growing, citing online petitions that have surpassed 500,000 signatures. At a press conference in Manila, private citizen Tony Oquias and representatives of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) Philippines and Kasama BulSU announced plans to intensify public pressure against the initiative. One article reports that opposition petitions have already reached more than half a million signatures, while another specifies a combined total of 523,265 signatures across separate online drives by the groups. The organizers frame the figures as evidence of strong public disapproval and indicate they will continue campaigns to mobilize additional opposition. The reports focus on the petition counts and the groups’ decision to step up efforts, but they do not detail counterarguments from the government or proponents, nor do they describe specific project terms or impacts.