LEYTE GOLD
On the island of Leyte in the southern Philippines, the hills are rich with gold - for those brave enough to go and get it. Dotted throughout the mountains of Leyte are dozens of illegal 'rat hole' miners who work unregulated and home made tunnels in the hope of finding gold. A region of extreme poverty and unpredictable weather, the miners in the community of Pinut An have little choice but to dig if they want to provide for their families.
Devoid of nearly every modern safety measures, these illegal shafts are a dark and dangerous place to spend one's youth, yet some of the miners are as young as 13 years old. They work with rubber boots, a hammer and chisel, and a battery powered headlamp as their only tools, yet they are capable of hauling great quantities of earth to the surface every day.
This story follows one camp of miners as they live, work, and dig together from their mountain camp on the southern edge of Leyte.
