Gold is one of the most precious currencies in today’s market. Until bitcoin and other crypto currencies catch it, gold is the most expensive trade asset you can possess.
Which is why gold mining is such a wide spread business. Companies are constantly looking for the next gold mine. And usually, that mine comes in a third world country, one where money are tight.
Such is the case at the Philippines, where the city of Paracale has been dubbed “Goldtown”. With so many mines in the city, the town has become a popular location for gold companies.
But the problem is use of child labor. Use of child labor at the Philippines is widespread, and at Pracale, it involves extracting gold from mud-filled shafts and using toxic mercury.
Because of the poverty and lack of alternative jobs, people at the Philippines are forced into this dangerous work. As a result, many of them die young due to breathing problems and work accidents.
Families cannot afford to send children to school, and they forced to work their way into the world. The saying at the Philippines is “while working down the mine, you have one foot in the grave”. The reason is respiratory issues caused by inhaling mercury fumes.
