The Children Risking Their Lives In Underwater Gold Mines

Summary

In the Philippines, the ‘Gold Coast’ is home to thousands of small-scale miners, many of whom rely on their children to help extract gold from dangerous, illegal mining operations. Children like 11-year-old Joshua risk their futures, missing school to work alongside their parents in hazardous conditions. With little alternative, families are trapped in a cycle of poverty, earning just a fraction of the gold’s true value, much of which is sold on the black market. Despite the grave risks, including mercury exposure and underwater mining, this harsh reality continues as local leaders struggle to provide alternative opportunities for survival.

Takeaways

• 😀 Small-scale gold mining in the Philippines is illegal and extremely dangerous, with many miners using harmful methods like compressor mining and risking their lives in hazardous conditions.
• 😀 Children, including 11-year-old Joshua, are often forced to work in gold mining camps due to poverty, significantly disrupting their education and childhoods.
• 😀 The gold mining industry on the Philippines' Gold Coast is driven by desperate poverty, with families relying on the small-scale mining for survival, sometimes even gambling their earnings to avoid further work.
• 😀 Many families, like Joshua's, face the harsh reality of needing children to work in order to survive, with parents feeling conflicted about exposing their children to such dangerous conditions.
• 😀 Illegal mining methods like compressor mining pose significant health risks, including the use of toxic chemicals such as mercury, which can cause severe long-term damage to both miners and their children.
• 😀 The use of dynamite in mining operations has caused deadly accidents, with one such incident resulting in over 100 deaths, yet miners continue due to the lack of enforcement and alternatives.
• 😀 Some miners, like Marcos, risk using mercury to process gold, exposing themselves and their children to life-threatening toxins in an attempt to survive financially.
• 😀 The local economy relies heavily on the black market for gold, which avoids taxes and benefits larger brokers, leaving small miners with very little compensation for their dangerous labor.
• 😀 Local government officials are caught in a dilemma, trying to provide job opportunities but struggling to balance the need to curb child labor with the reality of entrenched poverty.
• 😀 Despite the miners' dangerous and toxic working conditions, the gold they extract is sold on the black market, primarily to buyers in Hong Kong and China, leaving miners with minimal profits.
• 😀 The widespread poverty in mining communities is exacerbated by an unequal distribution of wealth, with the local population failing to see any substantial benefits from the gold they mine.

Q & A

What is the primary economic activity in the Philippines' so-called 'Gold Coast'?

The primary economic activity in the 'Gold Coast' of the Philippines is small-scale gold mining, which has been a significant part of the region's economy for centuries. Many miners risk their lives to extract gold, often working in dangerous and illegal conditions.

Why do families bring their children to work in the gold mines?

Families bring their children to work in the gold mines because of extreme poverty. The children help to increase the family's earnings, as bringing them along allows miners to double their daily income. With large families to support, many parents see it as a necessity, despite the risks involved.

What are the dangers of the compressor mining method used by the miners?

Compressor mining is extremely dangerous as miners work underwater, breathing through thin tubes. The practice involves digging for gold in deep, submerged shafts, and any blockage in the tube or an accident can result in drowning. The method is illegal due to its high risks, but miners continue to use it due to the lack of alternatives.

How does gold mining impact children's education in the region?

Gold mining significantly disrupts children's education. Many children, like Joshua, are pulled out of school to work with their parents, often missing years of education. In Joshua's case, he has fallen two years behind in school. The pressure to earn a living means that education is often deprioritized.

What role does gambling play in the lives of the local miners?

Gambling plays a significant role in the lives of local miners. On weekends, miners often gamble their earnings in cockfights, a traditional bloodsport. The winners can make more money than they would from a week of mining, but the losers are left with nothing and must return to the dangerous work.

What is the impact of mercury use in the gold mining process?

The use of mercury in gold mining is highly toxic and banned. Miners use mercury to bind gold particles together, which is then heated to extract the gold. The process releases toxic vapors, exposing miners, including children, to dangerous chemicals that can cause brain damage, organ failure, and other health issues.

How does the local government view the practice of compressor mining?

Local government officials, like the mayor, acknowledge that compressor mining is illegal but argue that shutting it down would worsen the poverty of the families involved. They claim that without alternative job opportunities, people would have no choice but to continue mining to support their families.

What challenges do miners face in selling their gold?

Miners face significant challenges in selling their gold. The local gold brokers often pay a fraction of the international market price for the gold, and much of the gold produced is sold on the black market to avoid taxes. This results in miners receiving very little for their efforts, while larger brokers and international buyers profit.

How does the cycle of poverty affect the mining communities?

The cycle of poverty is deeply entrenched in the mining communities. Families like those of Joshua and Mark Antony rely on dangerous mining practices just to survive, and the lack of education and job opportunities limits their chances of escaping poverty. Even with hard work, the miners often make very little, and their children are forced to continue the cycle by working alongside them.

What are the long-term effects of working in the gold mines on children like Joshua and Mark Antony?

The long-term effects of working in the gold mines on children like Joshua and Mark Antony can be both physical and educational. The dangers of mining, such as exposure to mercury and the risk of accidents, can cause permanent health problems. Additionally, the children are often deprived of proper schooling, which limits their future prospects and keeps them trapped in the cycle of poverty.