Benguet Gold and Borax Revolution

Filipino Gold Miner's Borax Revolution

Article copied from:http://www.blacksmithinstitute.org/newsletter/march-april-filipino-gold-miner-reveals-borax-secret-pakistan-s-pollution-problem.html A movement is taking root in the small province of Benguet in the Philippines that might just revolutionize the artisanal gold mining industry and greatly reduce worldwide toxic mercury emissions. Gold miners there are rediscovering a century-old method of gold extraction using non-toxic borax instead of mercury. If artisanal gold miners around the world can be convinced to switch to borax, it would prevent the release of about 1,000 tons of toxic mercury a year - about 30% of the world's mercury emissions. We spoke with Leoncio Na-Oy, a gold miner in Benguet, about the method. Unable to find a job after graduating with a degree in history, Leoncio turned to gold mining and has since been a vocal supporter of the borax method, helping to spread the word to fellow miners in the Philippines and beyond. He told us that elders in Benguet have been using borax to extract gold since the 1900s. But in the 1960s and 70s, large gold mining concerns came into the region and introduced mercury. However, Leoncio told us that many miners in Benguet have since gone back to using borax because it returns much more gold. "There is a significant difference. For example, the percentage of purity of gold using the borax method is 15.8.  If you use mercury, it is 14.8. If miners see that the borax process is efficient and that they can recover more gold and earn more, they will learn the new process. That is the primary argument to get them to use borax.  For instance, we tell them that for 1 kilo of gold we will use only 400 grams of borax, which can be bought at P40/kilo. However, we will need to use P30,000 worth of mercury to get 1 kilo of gold. Miners in other areas are just not aware of the borax method.  There was a group of miners from Compostela Valley Diwalway who came to Benguet to see us use the borax method. When they saw the process they all were amazed that we could recover gold without mercury. The miners are also unaware of the harmful effects of mercury. It was only brought to our attention in recent years by groups like BAN TOXICS.  It was only when Peter Appel* came to the area that our borax method started to be promoted in other areas.  We became volunteers to spread the method. Now, the Benguet Federation of ASGM (artisanal gold miners) has a 15-year program to totally stop the use of mercury.  All 15,000 affiliated members of the federation are now using borax.  However, there are few rogue miners that still use mercury and we are trying to convince them to switch." Result from using 5-10% mercury when extracting gold. (Photo: P. Appel) Result from using Borax Method when extracting gold. (Photo: P. Appel)

BOMBA, Can’t Survive Without

Whether a hobbyist, or a serious gardener, they can’t do it without bomba whatever kind, design or capacity. In the highlands of the Cordillera especially here up north, when farmers say bomba they mean either a knapsack sprayer or pesticide. 

Invited by a friend for a late night dinner, I got this interesting conversation.

Me: kasla mayat trabahum ah, kanayun mu kasabat ni Governor

Fren: anya nga mayat, Human Rights met nga kanayun, agasem man dayta binugbug dagita government forces (Gofo) jay farmer gapu ta haan da maawatan ti culture ti umili. Outsider da gamin, tagalog sau da ya, kastoy gamin ti nangyari.

          Gofo: (talking to farmer) Saan kayo punta?

          Farmer: Du-un sa Kampu Sir

          Gofo: (Gulat) Anong meron sa Campo niyo?

          Farmer: Bomba Sir.

          Gofo: (Lalong gulat) Niloloko mo ba kami?

           Farmer: Hindi po sir, Bomba po talaga andon sa kampo, katulad ng Shotgun,
                         Armas, Bazooka,Uzi, ken yong bomba ngay…….

         
            Note: the Farmer is referring to the pesticides with trade name such as Shotgun-M
                      Fungicide, Armas 2.5EC Insecticide, Bazooka Insecticide, Uzi 5EC and
                      knapsack sprayer

Me: Naku po kawawa nga talaga yong farmer, hopefully applicable sa kanila yong ignorance of the law excuses no one….. (no reply fren)

Sana malaman din ng mga gofo na madaming mga bomba ang ginagamit ng mga farmers katulad ng  Megaboom (foliar fert), Bombard 2.75EC, Bomber 5EC, Caliber 70WP, Carbine 50SP, Crusher 250EC, Dynamite 480SL glyphosate, Panlaban 5EC, Pounder 160SL, Sharpshooter 480SL, Terminator, Magnum 5 EC, or Warak 31.5 EC.

Fren: Anya dagita bomba? Hahahahaha

Waiter: Sir bawal po pag-usapan dito ang mga bomba, baka matakot ibang mga customer……

Me and Fren: Wahahahahaha……….. ay okey…..

Me: Agawid tan baka agayab dat Pulis, makabasul ta pay........ Ada pay met awit ku nga magnum.......

Guard: Sir sa susunod pakideposit na lang po dito sa amin yong magnum niyo.

Me: Ah okey, Thanks

Bad Weather Makes Me Hot

Photo taken at Poblacion, Hungduan, Ifugao

The bad weather brings happiness to those who need water, the gardeners rely their fortune to the rain to water their crops, to the city dwellers were their water comes from catch basins, the hydro electric dams needs it to run their turbine. Everyone needs water, we need rain not the bad weather.

Doing my correspondence, I confided to a friend that I am sick. It rain for more than two days and now the weather is so cool, foggy and wet. I hate this kind of weather, it makes me sick, I think I have low tolerance to cool weather...now I wear two thick jackets... eww it’s weird...wet outside weird inside....

“If that’s the case,” my friend told me “you have to marry”

“Is that base on experience?” I innocently uttered, “How is that?”

“Yes, your wife will make you hot,” he said

“But there are hot chic out there? I interrupted

He said, “My friend those are just temporary, they are not there when you need them most, your wife do.......”

I keep quiet for sometime while analyzing my subconscious character that will guide me through on the issue at hand...

“Can you help me in case?” I murmured

Smiling sarcastically, “I know what you mean......”

“Who is she, do I know her, Am proud of you”

Because am not feeling well I just keep quiet.

“ yeah know, don’t worry I’ll be there, makihamul ket wumanah/watwat kunam man.”

Okey you’re really my friend.......

Writing this blog I realized why he said “wife will make you hot”

“She will really make me hot”

More children make the world hot

We need space so need to cut trees making the world hot

Need housing so need lumber making the world hot

Lifestyle for the family will make me hot

Misunderstanding with the wife will make me hot

Unruly children make the parents hot

To my future wife: Where are you? Finding you makes me hot

Will you really make me hot?

Wait, I have to take my paracetamol, I’m sick and my head is really hot......

A Dash of Ifugao Humor

Bilong Rice Terraces - Poblacion, Hungduan, Ifugao

Indigenous wisdom and knowledge. Respectfor the environment and understanding of sustainability. Thorough grasp of landscape engineering. Innovation, creativity, sheer industry, clear vision, mission, goals, objectives and targets.


Ecological and management gobbledygook may help you understand how in the world the ancient Ifugaos could have carved out their magnificent and extensive rice terraces from the mountainsides.


Exclude forced labor as a strength in your analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats -- slavery was never part of Ifugao history and culture. Wit and humor, as much as betel nut chewing, are.


Include the element of laughter and your hypothesis will be on the right track. It's no joke, especially if you're dead serious and at your wit's end figuring out how they were able to do it, sans iron implements, much less a bulldozer.


If shared laughter is off-tangent, what else could have sustained and inspired our Ifugao forebears during the tedious, cumbersome, protracted and back-breaking toil of leveling and stonewalling the terraces?


If not humor, what pushed them on to build the upland paddies that, we're told, would go halfway around the world if placed end to end?


Ask any Cordilleran about the Ifugao's natural wit and inclination to humor and laughter. They'll readily dish out a sampling to perk up your day, sometimes at the expense of the Ifugao character.


Ifugao jokes are aplenty and continue to evolve, such that amusing anecdotes from other tribes are often mistaken to be Ifugao in character and origin.


Even one-liners are enough signs and proof of the preponderance of wit and humor in the Ifugao mind.


The late Baguio journalist Jose "Peppot" Ilagan and this writer realized this while trying to unwind after conducting a basic writing workshop for kids in Lagawe, the capital town of Ifugao province.


We met provincial prosecutor Joseph Tumapang, who generously treated us to rounds of beer at his sister's restaurant near the provincial capitol. After several bottles, the host turned serious and complained aloud that many of his lawyer friends in Baguio always expected a joke every time they saw an Ifugao.


To avoid a clash over the issue, Peppot went to the comfort room. After relieving himself, he came out, grinning ear-to-ear and said: "Sorry, fiscal, but I just discovered there's only one comfort room here. From the door, I looked up and saw the sign, 'He or she but not together.'The same advisory is posted on the bathroom doors of the youth hostel in Kiangan, former capital town of Ifugao.


Later, along the Lagawe highway, Peppot spotted a hairdresser's salon sign. Notwithstanding his receding hairline, he insisted on posing for a photograph beside the shop's trade name so he could mail the print to then President Fidel Ramos. It read: "Hair 2000."


A gasoline station in Banaue had no restroom. Instead of building one, the management put out a positive sign to discourage male motorists from answering the call of nature upon the establishment wall. It read: "Only Dogs May Urinate Here."


A Banaue native narrated how another Ifugao was emptying his bladder when he looked up and saw the sign. Too late.


"So he raised his left foot and finished his personal business."


Like most jokes, Ifugao humor is better told than read, considering the impact of animated narration. Anecdotes with local color are also best when told in the local dialect and its diction. Something is always lost in the translation, given the nuances of language.


Perhaps translating the following dialogues in Ilocano would help readers get the drift:An old man halted a Baguio-bound bus in Kiangan. The conductor peered out of the door and politely asked, "Papanan yo, ama [Where are you going, old man]?"


The old man shook his head, pointed to the door and replied, "Ania dayta nga saludsod? Dita uneg ti bus mo, ania pay ngay koma; isu ngarud nga pinarak [What question is that? Inside your bus, where else?; precisely that' s why I flagged it down]."


He sat beside another Ifugao who was having a severe attack of hiccups. Wanting to help, he gave his seatmate shock treatment - a hard slap on the back. It worked but the impact drew anger from the seatmate who complained to a policeman among the passengers.


"Apay kano nga sinipat mo ti katugaw mo? (Why did you slap your seatmate?)," the officer asked the old man.


"Sinipat ko a, apo pulit, ta kumittab mit (I had to slap him, Mr. Officer, because he was trying to bite me)."


Along the way, another Ifugao passenger handed a bill to the conductor and waited for his fare change. "Naggapuan na daytoy [Where from]?" The conductor inquired. "Kaniak [From me]," the passenger retorted. "Papanan na [Where to]?" The conductor asked. "Kaniam [To you]."
Upon arrival in Baguio, the Kiangan patriarch went to Burnham Park for his betel nut chew. A policeman saw him spit on the ground and approached. The Ifugao stood up and placed his left foot on the red spittle. The cop ordered him to raise his foot. The old man raised his right. When the cop told him to lift the other foot, he pointed out the obvious: "Mr. Officer, you know I can't lift both feet or else I'll fall down."


Ignoring the need for a cutting permit, an Ifugao woodcarver felled a huge tree, attracting a forest guard who rushed to investigate. "Apay nga pinukan mo daytoy kayo [Why did you cut this tree]?," the guard demanded. Matter-of-factly, the carver answered, "Pinukan ko a ta saan ko ngarud nga maparut [I cut it because I can't pull it out of the ground]."


"Adda kadi permisom, wenno kasuratan nga mabalin mo nga pukanen [Do you have permission or a document allowing you to fell it]?," the irate guard inquired. "Awan, ngem pinukan ko ta inmulak daytoy [None, but I cut it because I planted it.]"


"Adda papeles mo nga mangpaneknek nga mulam [Do you have papers to prove you planted it]?" "Awan, ngem ammok mulak daytoy ta nag-tubo. Adda kadi inmula yon nga taga-gobyerno nga nagtubo [None, but I know I planted this because it grew. Have you in government ever planted anything that grew]?"


Exasperated, the forest guard shouted in the vernacular, "Don't be a smart aleck; talk sensibly or else I'll arrest you." Unperturbed, the Ifugao retorted, "Are you angry? If so, wait while I set on this chainsaw so you can talk with it."


His anger turning to fear, the poor guard shifted to friendly mode. "Ok, I'll not book you anymore. Let's be friends, instead. Is your water potable? Can I drink it?" The logger offered his jug and, with the straight face, told his new friend, "You can even chew it, if that's what you want."Having had too much to drink one evening, an Ifugao youth fell asleep on the roadside while on his way home. A policeman on the beat came to check, pointing his flashlight directly to the teener's face, waking him up.


"Oh, so the moon came down," the boy uttered in disbelief, prompting the cop to ask if he was drunk. The boy swore he was sober.


"If you're not drunk, can you recognize me?"


"Yes, sir, you're a police officer. How about me, sir, do you know me?"


"No!"


"Then you're the one who's drunk."




By Ramon Dacawi
www.cordilleravoice.com
Wednesday, 11 May 2011 14:48

SDI Donates SAR Equipments to PNP Ifugao

The Sons and Daughters of Ifugao, Inc (SDI) donated different kinds of Save and Rescue (SAR) gear to the PNP Ifugao. PSI Kenneth G. Pugong said they already identified the most needed resources to be bought. Regina Bayer Cubillan from SDI accompanied PSI Pugong during the purchase of the said equipments.

The equipment are the following:

1 pc Cousin Trestec Static Rope 10.5 mm (50 meters)

2 pcs Cousin Trestec Static Rope11MM (50meters) 

2pcs Full Body Harness 

2 pcs Fig 8 descender with ears 

2 pcs Silver Locking Carabiner ( Stainless Steel, automatic)

1pc Sledge Hammer 

1pc Hand Axe 

1pc Bow Saw

 1pc Hack Frame

 2pcs Safety Cap

 2pcs Chin Strap

TRUST (meron ka ba niyan?)

“I am not upset that you lied to me.  I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you.”  - Fredrich Nietzsche

Someone added me to this group in facebook and observed that they are interacting to unravel some missing link in the culture where they belong. Some agree and others disagree to issues presented at hand. Each person’s ability to present issues is contemplated with trust.

Trust is one of the fundamental ingredients of any successful relationship. Without trust, a team can find itself spending all their time battling one another rather than getting work done. However trust is something which gets built up over time and it is something you earn.

Circle of trust.  I read that quote in their wall and with a creative mind I copied a latex (you know that brand) and presented it in a funny way but has sense (sation).  I came to appreciate this group as they are doing project with trust though they never saw each other. Trust is the foundation of effective leadership. However there is always a personal risk in trust, people generally won’t generally just hand it over because it was asked.

High trust to everyone or in a certain environment can be equated with high degree of involvement and commitment leading to the success of the organization.

There is no exact tool or method that can help in manufacturing trust. This must be built one interaction at a time, and here’s how:

1. Keep promises large and small: If you agree to set up a meeting, set up a meeting. If you tell someone you'll send them an email, send them the email. If you tell someone you love her, be faithful...

2. Be careful about promises: promises are made to be broken so before making a promise, think to say yes or politely decline and explain why. In a world where word is a face-value, one needs to be careful with their words.

3. Give a space for the benefit of the doubt. The idiom may mean   "I can't prove you're wrong (or lying), but I suspect that you are, so because of this doubt I'll accept what you say."  This suggest that if in doubt about the motivations of a person you're working with, you should go ahead and extend your own trust to them in your first interaction.  Unless you are in actual danger in the worst case scenario (for example, if you're rock climbing, and the new person you're with says you should let them secure the rope), it's a good idea to trust in your first interaction.  The other person will appreciate getting the benefit of the doubt, and you will potentially make a new friend.

4. If that didn't work, you know better next time.  That adage "fooled me once, shame on you; fooled me twice, shame on me," is actually a helpful guideline for successful corporate living.  There is no need to trumpet to the world that you've encountered a non-trustworthy person, but now you know.

Behaviors of High Trust

·     Talk straight

·     Demonstrate respect

·     Create transparency

·     Right wrongs

·     Show loyalty

·     Deliver results

·     Get better

·     Confront reality

·     Clarify expectations

·     Practice accountability

·     Listen first

·     Keep commitments

·     Extend trust

When Networking Won't Work

It's cool and raining all day, when an acquaintance came riding his red motorcycle and traveled atleast 6 hours.

Trembling cool while removing his helmet, coat, and wet shoes, I summoned him to hang his things  above the potted plants (hapid) while going in to boil water.

Not to tell him the obvious that the drip from his things will water the plants as I did not water them for the past days...

Waiting for the water to boil, he handed me a sachet of coffee with ingredients as follows: Non dairy creamer (contains milk protein), raw cane sugar, coffee powder, inulin, ginseng powder, ginkgo powder, tricalcium phosphate, and coffee micron flavor. “Let’s try our coffee, this is best for our health it has ginseng and ginkgo powder to help drive out toxins from the body.” My eyes is reading the text on the sachet of coffee and just say “this is nice” while standing to prepare the cups of hot water for the coffee.

Sipping to make ourselves warm, He said that they also have foliar fertilizer, “as far as am concern this is the best foliar I’ve ever seen.” I wondered   if he ever tried the product but based from his mouth “the best foliar I’ve ever seen” conversation mere subjective.

He added, “in this community that everyone is into vegetable production I encourage you to be a member, you are missing the opportunity, you can deal this to your clients.” Am not interested but to show interest on his product I ask, “This is a good opportunity to help the farmers, are there any distributor in the area?” Without thinking he answered “yes,” with confidence and posture “we are only few but many farmers are having their second order, I just delivered the ordered product worth more than a hundred thousand the other members order of almost the same amount is on transit.”

He smiled confidently and sipped his mug. Feeling I’m not convinced he changes the topic. “I’m also dealing satellite TV receivers, you can tip me those friend of you who want to have one, every successful endorsement you got a tip from me of Php500.00.

That interest me much, just do the talking to a customer, and endorse it to him and when successful alas I have 500. “How many did you install here?” I asked, “I have already installed more than 30 and counting, and they are buying load from me of 390 per month.” To show interest, “wow that’s huge money,” I exclaimed.

Questioning him with the advantage of being a member to the networking with intention to sell foliar fertilizer, he said that besides having death insurance, every carton of 12 litres of foliar fertilizer sold, I will be having an outright income of 1,500 and if I have down lines I will be receiving additional percentage based on the product they take out from the warehouse. (The usual line of networking)

I asked again “So you have many members here?” as he opened his wallet I saw he has much as he pulled out some papers and showed at list 3 of his receipts with an amount total of less than 12,000. “Last week I delivered more than 10 cartons to different farmers and if you will become a member I will refer them to you they will take it here if you don’t have time to deliver. We have many users and more are showing interest to the product.” Calculating in my mind he has 15,000 income if he delivered 10 cartoons aside from the earlier and on-transit deliveries.

Since its getting dark he asked if how much is the hotel rate in the nearby inn, he is planning to sleep there as his boarding house is 10kms away. I gave him the hotel numbers saying the nearest inn has 200 per head for whole night. He went to the nearest inn and was told that the only room available is for 2’s and he will have it for the prize of two.

I asked if he texted the other inn, “they replied and its expensive 450 and 600.” He sit down and texted someone “I think I will go home or can I stay and sleep here for the night?” I politely decline telling that my room/bed is good for one and I have no extra sheet and blankets (unless you are a lady, surely can accommodate us).

In bed, I keep on thinking, is there really money in networking? (I seldom see people get rich with networking)

How can he influence me to be his down line? He is proud to have delivered much and have many percentages from his down lines, but why he can’t pay 400 for the hotel rate?

I slept with those and more questions unanswered....

Saglit Lang

Hindi lungkot o takot ang mahirap sa pag-iisa kundi ang pagtanggap na sa bilyon-bilyong tao sa mundo, wala man lang nakipaglaban upang makasama ka.

Boring Day

Monday na naman ngayon, monday na walang kabuluhan ang buhay... walang ginawa kundi magfacebook. Kagabi off ang net at exactly 9:00 PM walang magawa kaya pinanggigilan ko na naman yong aking module....wala din naman akong naiintindihan kaya nagdesisyon ako na matulog na lang, pagtingin ko sa selpon naku midnight na pala.....

Bigla akong naalimpungatan nong marinig ko yong tunog ang aking selpon, akala ko alarm yon pero hindi pala, tawag pala yon, akala nila sasama ako sa training ng financial management, kasi dadaanan daw nila ako in 30 minutes, nakapag decide ako na di na muna mag-attend tutal parang monthly naman yong ang training.

Dahil gising naman na ako at walang magawa kaya basa na naman ako nagtataka lang kung bakit wala akong nai-intindihan? Andito na ako sa page 14 module II na may pamagat na "Why Humans Behave as They Do? pero bakit kaya ang aking mine eh di nagbebahave.....

Wala ngang magawa kaya Facebook na naman ako.... nagulat lang ako ng makita ko ang reminder na ito...

Oo nga pala July ngayon.... Start of the second half of the Year kaya pati sa radyo may Christmas song, pero ang aga naman.... Pero bago yang Christmas Party na yan iniisip ko kung paano kaya e-celebrate ang isang party...

Wala na akong masabi kaya dutdut dutdut muna ako sa ating FB....

Sunday Assumptions

Yesterday, I posted a quotation on my facebook wall about going to church on Sunday.... I read this before in the net but just remember to post it yesterday since it was a Sunday. This is the quotation.


“I'm not a bad guy! I work hard, and a good citizen. So why should I spend my time on Sunday hearing about how I'm going to hell?”


 This is to test my theory about going to church on Sunday with their comments. Here is the assumption


Always go to church - comments with phrase from the bible or with bible verses
Sometimes go to church - comments that has a little connection with the bible like "i will pray for you"
Rarely go to church - comments  like "lol," "no comment," "how is that?" etc.
Occasional - when comment is "like" just a press


Only few commented like "yey what happen to you" other says "hahahahha" and s single commented with a phrase from the bible.. Some comments needs my remarks an I affirm it in a negative way just to test my theory.


I've known those commenter's for sometime so i know what category they belong and I think am right with the theory. A friend call to make his remarks but decline and informed him to make a comment on the post and wait for the answer. I clearly established that this posting is not about faith, its about "going to church on Sunday."


After posting the assumption, the friend called again to inform me that I am right with my assumption that he always go to church and will also try this little research on his facebook. I have to make it clear to him to remove the comments before posting the assumptions, and promised to try it next Sunday.....

CONTACT

What do you think of this Cadduayo?

I welcome Comments, Suggestions and Request.
Feel free to drop me a line, but please no spamming.

Email: cadduayo@gmail.com

Where Am I Going?