Paracale’s real treasures are not gold

The small, seaside town of Paracale in Camarines Norte is known for its beautiful coastlines.  But the town’s real treasures lay hidden underground.  Large deposits of gold ore can be found throughout the town’s riverbeds, flood plains, and even sink holes. Though banned, small-scale mining is still a main source of livelihood in Paracale.  Some miners even risk their lives by practicing “compressor mining” or pagkakabod, which involves diving into thick, muddy water, breathing only through a rubber hose connected to a compressor.  A miner may stay underwater for hours searching for gold, and can easily drown if his compressor fails.   In 1998, for one of her first stories as a cub reporter for “Brigada Siete,” Kara David visited Paracale to do a story about compression mining.  There, she met Jimmy Dasco, a 13-year-old boy who was digging for gold in a ricefield. Thirteen years later, Kara revisited the town and discovered that not much had changed for Jimmy, who had since graduated into doing the more dangerous part of the mining process – diving into the muddy water in search of gold.   Kara also met Jimmy’s 16-year-old brother Jonel, who began going compressor diving with his brother and father when he was just 10 years old. In gold-rich Paracale, Jonel’s real treasure is a little piece of paper — his certificate of graduation from elementary school.  Of 11 siblings, Jonel is the only one who finished grade school. He dreams of becoming a journalist someday, but because he has to help support his brothers and sisters, further schooling is hardly an option. After shooting an “I-Witness” documentary about Jimmy and Jonel, Kara began sponsoring Jonel as scholar for Project Malasakit, a scholarship project for children from impoverished families.  Sponsors can send a deserving child to school for only P500 to P1000 every month (roughly $20).  The project courses donations through public schools, rather than giving the funds directly to the beneficiary families.  Scholars must study hard to keep receiving receiving support. Through the help of Project Malasakit, Jonel was able to enroll at Paracale National High School and receive school supplies. A school official monitors his progress. If you are interested in sponsoring Jonel or any other Project Malasakit scholar, visit this page for details.—Alyx Arumpac/PF, GMA News RELATED VIDEO: A clip of Kara David's "Gintong Putik" documentary "I-Witness" airs every Monday night at 11:45pm. Follow the program on Facebook and Twitter.