gold mining in the Philippines

Rachel Iserhoff

17 Jan 201604:10

Summary

TLDRIn the Camarin Nor Peninsula, Philippines, over 200,000 small-scale gold miners risk their lives, including their children's, to mine gold using compressor mining. This dangerous method involves breathing through a thin plastic tube while submerged 30 feet underwater, exposing them to contaminated air, high-pressure risks, and dirty water. Despite the health hazards, local authorities turn a blind eye to illegal mining to prevent pushing families into starvation, trapping child miners in a cycle of poverty and peril.

Takeaways

🌍 The Camarin Nor Peninsula in the Philippines is known as Asia's Gold Coast.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Over 200,000 people are involved in small-scale gold mining in the area.
🌐 The gold produced is exported worldwide through the black market.
💸 Poverty and hunger drive people to engage in dangerous gold mining practices.
👶 Children are often used in mining due to their smaller size and less damaged lungs.
💨 Compressor mining involves breathing pressurized air through a thin plastic tube.
🚫 The process poses immediate life-threatening risks, including engine failure or collapse.
🤧 Poor air quality from compressor engines can lead to long-term health issues.
🌡️ Underwater pressure can cause gas bubbles to form, potentially blocking blood supply to the brain and lungs.
🦠 The water quality is poor, exposing miners to bacteria and parasites.
🏭 The mayor turns a blind eye to illegal mining to avoid forcing families into further hunger.

Q & A

What is the Camarin Nor Peninsula known for?
-The Camarin Nor Peninsula in the eastern Philippines is known as Asia's Gold Coast due to its gold mining activities.
How many people work as small-scale gold miners in the Philippines?
-Over 200,000 people work as small-scale gold miners in the Philippines.
What is the primary motivation for people to engage in small-scale gold mining?
-People engage in small-scale gold mining due to poverty and hunger, driven by the need to produce gold for the black market.
What is compressor mining?
-Compressor mining is a method where pressurized air is pumped into the miner's lungs through a thin plastic tube, allowing them to breathe underwater.
Why are children often used in compressor mining?
-Children are often used in compressor mining because their lungs have not been damaged by fumes, making them more capable of handling the polluted air.
What are the immediate life-threatening dangers posed by compressor mining?
-Immediate life-threatening dangers include engine failure, shaft collapse, and the risk of the breathing tube getting trapped or broken.
What are the long-term health risks associated with compressor mining?
-Long-term health risks include poor air quality due to diesel fumes and other pollutants, the physical effects of pressure underwater, and exposure to bacteria and parasites in the water.
How does the poor quality of air affect the divers?
-The air sucked through the tube may be mixed with diesel fumes, carbon monoxide, and other pollutants, which can lead to respiratory and other health issues.
What are the effects of diving at depth on the body?
-Underwater, the body is under a lot of pressure, which can cause gas bubbles to form in the bloodstream, potentially blocking blood supply to the brain or lungs.
Why does the mayor feel the need to turn a blind eye to illegal mining?
-The mayor turns a blind eye to illegal mining to avoid forcing families further into hunger, as it provides a source of income despite the risks.
What is the vicious cycle that child miners like Gerald are trapped in?
-Child miners are trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty and danger, where they must continue mining to survive despite the health and safety risks.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Gold Mining in the Philippines

The Camarin Nor Peninsula in the Philippines is described as Asia's Gold Coast. Over 200,000 small-scale gold miners work here, producing hundreds of kilos of gold annually for the black market. This is driven by poverty and hunger, with miners risking their lives and the lives of their children to extract gold. The script introduces Gerald, who uses compressor mining, a dangerous method involving breathing pressurized air through a plastic tube while descending 30 feet into flooded shafts.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Camarines Norte

Camarines Norte is a province in the eastern part of the Philippines. In the video, it is referred to as Asia's Gold Coast, indicating its significance as a location for gold mining. The region's gold mining activities are central to the video's narrative, highlighting the economic and social dynamics that drive people to engage in small-scale gold mining.

💡Small-scale gold miners

Small-scale gold miners are individuals who engage in gold mining on a small scale, often using rudimentary methods and equipment. The video emphasizes their role in producing gold that is exported worldwide on the black market, driven by poverty and hunger. This term is crucial to understanding the video's theme of the harsh realities faced by those involved in the gold mining industry.

💡Black market

The black market refers to the clandestine trade of goods and services, often outside the purview of the law. In the context of the video, it is where the gold mined by small-scale miners is sold, highlighting the illicit nature of the trade and the desperation that drives people to participate in it.

💡Compressor mining

Compressor mining is a dangerous method of gold mining that involves breathing through a tube while submerged underwater. The video describes this method in detail, emphasizing the extreme risks taken by miners, including Gerald, who uses this method to search for gold. It illustrates the life-threatening conditions miners face in their pursuit of gold.

💡Pressurized air

Pressurized air is air that is under high pressure, which is used in compressor mining to provide a breathable air supply to miners underwater. The video mentions the use of pressurized air, which is pumped into the lungs of miners, indicating the extreme measures they must take to breathe while working at depth.

💡Health risks

Health risks refer to the potential harm or danger to one's physical well-being. The video outlines several health risks associated with compressor mining, including the poor quality of air, the effects of pressure on the body, and the poor quality of water, which can lead to various health issues for the miners.

💡Diesel fumes

Diesel fumes are the harmful gases emitted by engines that run on diesel fuel. In the video, it is mentioned that the air supplied to divers might be mixed with diesel fumes due to the proximity of the compressor engines to the engine. This highlights another health risk faced by miners, as exposure to such fumes can lead to respiratory issues.

💡Carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that can be present in the air supplied to miners, as mentioned in the video. It is a particularly dangerous health risk because it is odorless and can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning, which can be fatal.

💡Decompression sickness

Decompression sickness, also known as 'the bends,' occurs when a person ascends too quickly from a deep dive and gas bubbles form in the bloodstream. The video discusses this risk, which is a direct result of the depths at which miners work, and it can lead to serious health complications.

💡Mayor

The mayor, as a local authority figure, is mentioned in the video in relation to his stance on illegal mining. Despite the dangers, the mayor feels compelled to turn a blind eye to illegal mining to prevent pushing families further into hunger. This reflects the complex social and economic issues at play in the region.

💡Poverty

Poverty is the state of being extremely poor and is a central theme in the video. It is the driving force behind the dangerous practices of small-scale gold mining. The video illustrates how poverty traps child miners like Gerald in a vicious cycle of poverty and danger, highlighting the desperate measures people take to survive.

Highlights

Asia's Gold Coast in the Philippines hosts over 200,000 small-scale gold miners.

Gold miners produce hundreds of kilos of gold annually for the black market.

Poverty and hunger drive miners to risk their lives for gold.

Children are involved in dangerous gold mining activities.

Compressor mining involves pumping pressurized air into miners' lungs.

Miners descend 30 feet into flooded shafts using thin plastic tubes.

Children are often used for compressor mining due to their healthier lungs.

There's a high risk of accidents like engine failure or shaft collapse.

The air quality fed to divers is poor, often mixed with diesel fumes and pollutants.

Underwater pressure can cause gas bubbles to form in divers' bloodstreams.

Gas bubbles can block blood supply to the brain or lungs.

Miners are exposed to bacteria and parasites in the dirty water.

The mayor turns a blind eye to illegal mining to avoid pushing families into hunger.

Child miners are trapped in a cycle of poverty and danger.

The health risks of compressor mining are significant for children.

The transcript highlights the harsh realities of gold mining in the Philippines.