The GOLD MINER'S WIDOW
by Jansen Romero
Josephine Chavez, 60, is a Kankanaey living in the mining community of the high mountains of Sitio Luneta, Antamok, Itogon, Benguet. She is the widow of Ruben Chavez, a former miner of the closed Benguet Mining corporation who died of kidney failure.
Being a miner's widow, Josephine continues to live a simple life in their humble home in Luneta along with her children through mini convenience store residing beside their community's elementary school and selling of cut pine trees to be used as coals.
Her eldest son Gardner, 38, continued his father's mining until 2010. On the other hand, her 2nd youngest son George, 35, became mentally ill because of depression. Josephine had to take care of George everyday while her eldest do all the work.
In 2000, the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics recorded 78 realated deaths in the occupational sector of mining. However, in the 2002 there was a tremendous increase of deaths in the mining industry numbering 822 or 1,053% swell.
Copyright 2014
Being a miner's widow, Josephine continues to live a simple life in their humble home in Luneta along with her children through mini convenience store residing beside their community's elementary school and selling of cut pine trees to be used as coals.
Her eldest son Gardner, 38, continued his father's mining until 2010. On the other hand, her 2nd youngest son George, 35, became mentally ill because of depression. Josephine had to take care of George everyday while her eldest do all the work.
In 2000, the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics recorded 78 realated deaths in the occupational sector of mining. However, in the 2002 there was a tremendous increase of deaths in the mining industry numbering 822 or 1,053% swell.
Copyright 2014