Small-scale mining (SSM) has led to various environmental and social impacts in the community. Environmentally, it has resulted in muddy and contaminated rivers from uncontrolled use of mercury and cyanide. It has also caused soil erosion and ground instability from moving soil. SSM has lowered the water supply by mining underground and cutting down trees. Socially, it has increased infrastructure but abandoned agriculture. While it provided jobs and businesses, it also brought issues like social disorders, health risks from accidents and chemical exposure, and changes in cultural practices. Initiatives to address these impacts include requiring permits, reforestation, safety training, regulations and monitoring of chemical use.
1. DISCUSSION conti…
1. What are the impacts of SSM in the environment of the community?
Muddy, dried and contaminated river
• “nu ada sugat sabidung dayta” (W. Toyoken, 2016)
(J. Toyoken, 2016)
(J. Toyoken, 2016)
(B. Toyoken, 2016)
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• “SSM use uncontrolled amounts of mercury and cyanide in
extracting gold that contaminate streams and soils and expired
dynamites that are dangerous.”
(ESSC, 2008)
2. DISCUSSION conti…
1. What are the impacts of SSM in the environment of the community?
Moving ground/soil erosion
• “Gulo laeng ti gobyerno”
• “Haan nga maiwasan ti dagita (soil erosion and sinkholes) ta nagbalin
nga moving ground dituy”
• “Ngem haan nga biglaan, pabassit-bassit nga mauy-uyus”
(B. Toyoken, 2016)
(J. Toyoken, 2016)
(J. Toyoken, 2016)
Loss of water supply
a. Lower ground mining
• “ada ti mayat dati nga paggapuan ti danum uray jay mainum ngem
gapu ta ada nagminas jay baba, natinnag ti danum”
b. Cutting of trees
• “Ta ti kayu ti paggapuan ti danum”
• “Ngem awanen ta nagsikalbo metten ti banbantay”
(J. Toyoken, 2016)
(B. Toyoken, 2016)
(B. Toyoken, 2016)
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3. DISCUSSION conti…
1. What are the impacts of SSM in the environment of the community?
Establishments of infrastructure
• “Immadu ti stores karu dagijay aglaku ti mainum”
• “Ada met dagijay aglaku ti mausar ti minas”
• “Dagituy balbalay han met nga kastuy dati, inggana lang naada dagita
minas-minas”
(J. Toyoken, 2016)
(J. Toyoken, 2016)
(B. Toyoken, 2016)
Conversion of agricultural activity to mining
(B. Toyoken, 2016)
(B. Toyoken, 2016)
(B. Toyoken, 2016)
• “Nabayagen nga minas dituy isu haanen nga pagmulaan dituy”
• “Maymayat ti balituk ta kwarta nga dagus”
• “Awanen ti um-uma”
-‘purdiya’
3
• “With the shutdown of BC mines, agriculture became the main
source of income”
(ESSC, 2003)
4. DISCUSSION conti…
2. What are impacts of SSM in the community?
4
Employment and establishments of business
• “Pagbiyagan ti tattao”
-women employment
• “Ada dagiti timmama ket nagbalin nga instant millionaire”
(W. Toyoken, 2016)
(W. Toyoken, 2016)
Abandonment of farming
• May mayat ti balituk ta kwarta nga dagus (B. Toyoken, 2016)
Social Order
• “Ngem immada ti gulo, ‘prostitution’ ken patay”
• “Agas ti bannug”
• “Bisyu ti mangpatay iti minero”
(W. Toyoken, 2016)
(J. Toyoken, 2016)
(J. Toyoken, 2016)
5. DISCUSSION conti…
2. What are impacts of SSM in the community?
5
• “ti kaaduan nga kason ti natay ket gas haan nga ‘erosion’”
• “Basta ag as-asuk delikado”
-air inspection passed?
• “Ag-usar da gamin ti solid nga cyanide”
• “nu ada sugat sabidung dayta”
-talindanum
(J. Toyoken, 2016)
(J. Toyoken, 2016)
(B. Toyoken, 2016)
(B. Toyoken, 2016)
Health and accidents risks
(J. Toyoken, 2016)
(J. Toyoken, 2016)
(B. Toyoken, 2016)
(B. Toyoken, 2016)
Practices
• “Ada met ritual ngem haanen nga kadagiti an-anito, limmabasen
dagita nga panawen”
• “Haan nga maiwasan ti agum iti balituk”
• “Dapat nu aggulgulait ka, siguraduem nga safety ka nga umuna”
Planetark.org
6. DISCUSSION conti…
3. What are the initiatives to adverse effects of SSM in the community?
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• Requirement to have a permit to operate
Reforestation
Training & seminars
• Yearly attend MGB seminar
• Red Cross & Bureau of Fire
• Small Scale mining congress seminar
Rules & Regulations
• Responsible Mining Act of 1995
• ‘Maiparit ti agpukan ken agpukkaw’
Clean-up drive
BFTAM
Associations (Camp Suerte Livelihood Association)
7. 7
• Logging become massive when there are
SSM than during the Benguet Corporation
• Strict implementation of logging ban and
rangers who are capable
• Left holes in the mountains results to loss
of water supply and erosions which causes
accidents.
• Back-filling
• Excessive use of chemicals contributed to a
lot of problem such as health risks,
pollution to water and soil and change of
social behaviour.
• Strict monitoring of the use of these
chemicals or totally stop the use or sort to
environmental alternatives.
• Lack of sustainable orientation
“Nangamung ti sumaruno” (B. Toyoken, 2016)
• Seminars on sustainable development
CONCLUSION RECOMMENDATION
8. REFERENCES
• Environmental Science for Social Change (ESSC). (2008). LEGACY MINES VISIT BENGUET
CORPORATION’S CONTRACTUAL MINING AGREEMENT and SMALL-SCALE MINING IN
ITOGON, BENGUET. Retrieved on December 7, 2016 from essc.org.ph/content/wp-
content/uploads/2011/05/lmv_benguet pdf
• National Institute of Geological Sciences & Mines and Geosciences Bureau (NIGS&MGB).
(2004). International symposium on the diversity of mining and sustainable local
development: “A MEETING TO STUDY THE BUSINESS PRACTICES OF SMALL-SCALE GOLD
MINING IN BENGUET, PHILIPPINES”. Retrieved on December 7, 2016 from
https://unit.asit.go.jp/georesenv/mineral/pdf
• TOYOKEN, B. Personal Communication. 04 December 2016.
• TOYOKEN, J. Personal Communication. 04 December 2016.
• TOYOKEN, W. Personal Communication. 04 December 2016.
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