Money is Easy in Paracale: Small-scale Miners' Perceptions, Strategies, and Modes of Spending and Consumption in Relation to Variable Income
The study deals with how small-scale miners in Paracale handle and spend their income in relation to occupational conditions, especially the variable income. The research was conducted among the underground small-scale miners in Paracale, Camarines Norte, Philippines. The study mainly employed participant observation among four mining workgroups; semi-structured interviews among individual miners and other key research participants; and collection of secondary data. Study showed that mining operations are economically and technologically limited. These limitations are addressed by employing various production strategies that manage economic risks. Further, risks appear to be more calculable from the miners' perspective. The SSM income is variable and difficult to predict, both in terms of amount and tempo. Variable income entails adoption of flexible modes of spending and consumptiion snd employment of various strategies to survive the periods of low income. There are several categories of expenses, which include the regular expenses; future-oriented expenses; and leisure-related expenses. The study also confirmed the phenomenon of lavish spending among miners, which was influenced by perceptions of abundance. Strategies employed by miners in relation to variable income may be lumped intro two categories, namely: the income-generating strategies snd the spending and consumotion strategies.