Small-Scale Mining on Mt. Balabag: Examining Class Dynamics and Socioeconomic Mobility

Mt. Balabag in the province of Zamboanga del Sur (Mindanao, Philippines) was the site of lucrative small-scale mining (SSM) from 1994 to 2012. This research inquires into the effect of SSM on the production of class and on capital accumulation during its operational period and beyond. The miners were a mix of indigenous Subanen and Filipino migrants who all came from rural agricultural backgrounds. There has been research implying the economic benefits of SSM to rural peoples of the Global South, and on Mt. Balabag too miners did see a significant increase in earnings relative to their previous agricultural livelihoods. However, in the long term the influx of economic capital did not translate into widespread socioeconomic mobility for the majority, or even a significant minority. When SSM came to an end in late 2012, so too did the improvements it provided to most involved.