The Philippine deposits of gold, copper, chromium and nickel are considered as the 5th largest in the world. In 2009, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) estimated the country’s gold reserves at 5,080,785,289 tons, based accordingly on the bureau’s consolidation of resource inventory data supplied by mining companies. Forty provinces that have gold deposits practice different ways of mining gold that has been hand down from their ancestors since 3rd century.
The Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) is very common to the rural areas of the Philippines because of the constant surge in the price of gold and easy way out of poverty. ASGM, which occurs in more than 70 countries, provides income to an estimated 10 - 15 million miners including 4.5 million women and 1 million children. The sector produces about 500 to 800 tonnes of gold per annum, which accounts for about 20 to 30 percent of the world’s gold supply. Despite of this, destruction of environment and human health is at stake.
The use of mercury (Hg) in ASGM posed a very dangerous threat to the health of the miners. It contains potent neurotoxin that impairs brain function, lowers intelligence and causes hearing loss. It also affects women in terms of miscarriages and birth defects. This element also destroys the environment by polluting freshwater bodies. Moreover, small scale mining practices such as the use of dynamite in making tunnels is one of the cause of landslides and degradation of the mountain.
This on-going photo story will focus on the environment and health issues pose by the artisanal and small-scale gold mining practices in the Philippines and it will also showcase how the different players such as the miners, townspeople and the government are dealing with it. The areas covered from Luzon and Mindanao are: Camarines Norte, Kalinga Apayao, Mt. Diwalwal Compostela Valley and T'Boli South Cotabato.
The objective of this story is to educate the people about the reality that small scale mining is dangerous but a kind of livelihood that is essential in the national development of the country. It aims to call on the attention of the government to regulate and supervise this kind of livelihood for the benefit of the miners and the companies.
References:
Ban Toxics report: The price of gold, 2010
Module 3, Mercury Training Module, United Nations Environment Programme, 2008
Export Bans and Reducing Mercury Consumption in Artisana land Small Scale Gold Mining, Kevin Telmer, University of Victoria
Story & images by Aileen Dimatatac
Compressor mining can be done is this rice field in Dalas, Camarines Norte. Philippines.
A compressor miner dives in a 14 metres deep well in the middle of a rice field in Dalas, Camarines Norte. He stays for 4-6 hrs before surfacing. This is the most dangerous form of small scale mining because of the high possibility that the miners might be toxicated by the artificial air from the compressor or be electrocuted. Philippines.
Ms. Prisilla Tulling, a woman tunnel miner since 2003, works inside a mine site in Mt. Diwata, Monkayo Compostela Valley. Philippines.
A miner hammering at the ores below a 5-storey deep sinking tunnel in Camarines Norte. They can also extract other minerals such as silver and copper. Philippines.
A miner enters a tunnel. Mine sites in T'Boli South Cotabato can cover the whole underground of a mountain. Miners usually stay inside from 8-12 hrs per shift. Philippines.
The signs indicate all the rules and regulations for the miners before entering the mining site on top of Gaang, Balbalan, Kalinga Apayao. Philippines.
A young miner wears a protective head gear with flash light as he enters the mining site in Kematu, T'Boli South Cotabato. Miners are required to suit up properly with skull guards, head lamps and boots before entering any mines in this area. Philippines.
View of the shanties in Mt. Diwata, Monkayo Compostela Valley. Even though they are gold miners they still have poor living conditions due to social issues and dwindling of gold deposits. Philippines.
A miner resting inside a sinking tunnel in Sta. Rosa, Camarines Norte. Philippines.
A jewelry maker working on a gold ring inside his shop in Mt. Diwata, Monkayo, Compostela Valley. Jewelries are a common end product of gold and silver in this area. Philippines.
Children playing outside a gold trader in Mt. Diwata, Monkayo, Compostela Valley. Despite being gold miners the people living in this area are poor because their livelihood depends on how much they can mine every time they go inside the tunnels. Philippines.
Gold nuggets are the type of gold that can be found in the tunnels of Gaang, Balbalan Kalinga Apayao. This costs around P1500-2000 ($50). Philippines.
Weighing scale used in measuring gold in Mt. Diwata, Monkayo, Compostela Valley. Philippines.
Miners in Sta. Rosa, Camarines Norte burn the mercury ore mix in order to recover the gold particles and remove its impurities. Philippines.
This small gold piece weighs about 1/4 grams which cost for P194 ($4). This small amount of money will be divided to four miners and rental of the ball mill. In Camarines Norte, they weigh the gold base on rice grain (palay) and old coins (bahay). Twenty pieces of rice grain is equivalent to 1 old coin and 2 old coins is equlas to one gram. The price per gram is P900-950 ($19). Philippines.
Mercury (Hg) is an essential element in capturing the gold particles of the ores. Miners can purchase it in any convience (sari-sari) store in Sta. Rosa, Camarines Norte for the price of P300 ($6) per vial. Philippines.
View of the shanties in Mt. Diwata, Monkayo Compostela Valley. Even though they are gold miners they still have poor living conditions due to social issues and dwindling of gold deposits. Philippines.
This is a mercury ore mix in which the miners will later burn in order to turn it into gold. Philippines.