Exploring Environmental and Safety Challenges Faced by Out-of-School Youth Gold Miners in Masbate, Philippines: A Phenomenological Study

The research examined small-scale gold mining among out-of-school youth in Masbate, Philippines, focusing on their experiences, perceived challenges and impacts of health on the community environment.Despite it being economically dependent on gold mining, escalating environmental destruction and safety hazards caused significant worries.Adopting qualitative interviews, descriptive phenomenology probed into the phenomenon of the lived experiences of ten miners who were outof-school youth.Three key themes emerged.First, miners were pushed by financial need, stemming typically from family tragedies or debt.But their search for income exposed them to environmental risks like landslides, mercury contamination and physical injury in the absence of safety protocols and protective clothing.Second, the health risks and unsafe work conditions were unearthed as they were nowadays experienced and retorted by participants who mention the absence of safety tools and devices.Their stories have underscored the need for immediate safety enhancements and greater industry oversight.Third, the miners showed great resilience and adaptability, improvising security measures and taking solace from faith and mutual support, however they were insufficient.They called for interventions including safety training, alternative livelihood programs, financial aid, environmental remediation and more government and community presence.Tackling these concerns were identified as an integral part in the upliftment and survival of small-scale miners.