Indigenous People’s Engagement in Sand Mining and Its Impact on their Economy, Health and Environment: The Case of Batak in Palawan, Philippines

Abstract

Aims: To identify the impact of sand quarrying activities on the health, economy and environment of the Batak community whose people are dwindling in population. Further, the study aims to determine how the people demonstrate resilience in this face of economic adversity. Study Design:  Using a qualitative research design and an interview as data collection              method. Place and Duration of Study: Batak community in Sitio Mangapin in Barangay Langogan, Northern Puerto Princesa, January to June of 2019.  Methodology: We invited 20 adult Batak who were engaged in small scale quarrying at the time of the study. The purpose of the study was explained to them and they were invited to participate in interviews. Only nine males and eight females signed the informed consent. Seventeen members of the community became the respondents in the study. The informants’ age ranges from 25 to 52 years old, all are married and have children and all were participants in small scale quarrying being done in the community. Casual interviews, focus group discussions and observations were used to collect data from the informants. Interviews were done individually and were recorded with permission of the informants. Results: Data showed that families participated in the quarrying because of poverty but the engagement in hard labor impacts the health especially of the male workers in which 25 percent (of those interviewed) have acquired tuberculosis and persistent cough. About 50 percent of the women have acquired persistent back pain and loss weight. Observations yielded data on violations of the environment since the sand were taken not directly from the river but from the riverbank. Activities were found to be done on a large scale with trucks hauling from the river. While the Batak who were engaged in small scale mining, they were away the riverbanks in the process, creating large holes on the side which could potentially result in flash floods during rainy days. Conclusion: the Batak are aware that the small economic benefits they acquire from participation in the quarrying do not outweigh the potential environment and health risks the community is exposed to in their engagement to this kind of work. Despite the awareness of the hazards posed by sand mining on their health and environment, the need to survive hunger and illness during the lean months and lack of government support had prompted the people to engage in small scale quarrying which could potentially worsen the damage being created by large scale sand mining already taking place in the river. Participation in small scale mining has become an adaptation strategy employed by the Batak workers to cope with economic difficulties.