It is argued that artisanal and small-scale mining activities in different parts of the world, especially in developing countries, are poverty-driven. In the Philippines, employment in small-scale gold mining is largely informal. People are lured to the sector because it offers them the only available if not the most gainful source of income. Thus, despite the safety and health risks associated with the sector, the rural poor continue to seek employment in small-scale gold mining because poverty compels them to do so.
Policy and decisionmakers must understand the complex nature of small-scale gold mining in order to identify interventions that will be responsive and relevant to the existing realities of the sector. Thus, this research seeks to examine the issues and constraints confronting the sector and put forward policy recommendations that will enhance decent work outcomes in small-scale gold mining.
