Indigenous men in a small-scale mining community: Lifestyle changes and health and social consequences

• Main Author: Pindog, Mona P.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2013
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/4572
• Institution: De La Salle University

Small-scale mining has become a very important economic force in developing countries. The enterprise of such that utilizes rudimentary technologies and management strategies provide employment to millions of laborers, especially to the rural inhabitants including indigenous people. The revenues accrued from activities positively contribute to the economies of a number of nations. However, studies have revealed that small-scale mining poses direct danger and risks to the environment, health, and to societies. This study, furthermore, seeks to describe indirect health and social consequences of small-scale mining to indigenous male miners as a by-product of their economic gains and lifestyle changes. A multi-case study in an ethnographic orientation is used in this study. Six small-scale indigenous men miners were tapped through a non-probability sampling technique specifically the purposive and referral method as key informants in Runruno, Quezon, Nueva Vizcaya. They have to be miners for at least five years, mining is their main source of income, and they should be family men. The result yielded that there are two natures of mining activities in the community the financier who provides financial assistance to the miners and responsible in selling gold, and the miner who do the actual work of excavation and processing the ores. All of the informants receive high cash income depending on their nature of work and diligence in working, albeit not in a regular basis. They were able to procure lands, vehicles and other mechanical equipments, built their houses, and invest in education and other income-generating investments. The informants mostly were victims of robbery due to their known high income. Excessive consumption of alcoholic drinks and frequenting videoke stalls in the lowland areas for days is common to the informants and this caused them health risks especially accidents that threatened their well-being. Marital discords and community disturbances also arose from this lifestyle.