I-Witness
“Gem Hunters”
Host: Atom Araullo
Airing: November 13, 2021
Katulad ng mga batong inaagusan ng maruming tubig sa ilog, hindi natitinag ang 38 anyos na si David. Matibay at matatag na hinaharap ang mga hamon ng buhay.
Dahil high school lamang ang inabot at ulila na, kumuha siya ng kursong landscaping sa TESDA upang magkaroon ng hanapbuhay.
Naging landscape designer si David, subalit iniwan din nya ang trabaho dahil sa liit ng kita.
Taong 2019 nang mahanap niya ang oportunidad. Naimpluwensiyahan siya ng kaibigang geologist na maghanap ng gemstones na nakapaloob sa mga bato.
Kasama ang asawa at biyenan, nangangalap sila ng mga bato dalawang araw kada lingo. Kinakalkal nila ang mga bato na nakabaon sa lupa. Karaniwang nakukuha nila ang tinatawag na “jasper,” “petrified wood,” at “chalcedony.”
30 hanggang 40 kilos ang binubuhat nila pauwi sa kanilang bahay sa Quezon City. Magdamag nilang ibinababad ang mga bato sa bleach upang mawala ang amoy ng dumi ng baboy at manok. Pagkatapos ay saka lilihain ng isang oras upang kuminis. Ibinebenta nila ang mga produkto online.
Hindi biro ang pagkuha ng mga bato dahil sa mga panganib na dulot ng maruming ilog. Tsinelas lamang ang kanilang suot. Dagdag pa rito ang banta ng flashflood tuwing umuulan.
Samahan si Atom Araullo sa kaniyang paglalakbay kasama ang “Gem Hunters” sa I-Witness ngayong Sabado, November 13, 10:30pm pagkatapos ng Daddy’s Gurl sa GMA.
ENGLISH
Just like the stones lying on a riverbed, amidst the dirty water running over them, 38 year old David has been living a tough life.
Orphaned at an early age, he learned to survive by any means. He got a job as a landscaper but he left after a while due to his meager salary.
Two years ago, he got an opportunity that changed his fortune. His friend, a geologist, showed him the ropes by learning about rocks. But not just any rock— a rock containing gemstones inside a roughened façade.
Together with his wife and mother in law, they scour the rivers that snake along the landscapes in a province. Every weekend, they dig up stones and usually find “jasper,” “petrified wood,” and “chalcedony” as they are called.
From the location to their home in Quezon City, they carry stones ranging from 30 to 40 kilos. The stones are submerged into water containing bleach and some other chemicals overnight to eliminate the smell of pig and chicken manure.
The next day, David polishes them using a grinder. He sells the finished products online.
Getting the raw materials is not that easy. The danger lurking is unseen. They just use slippers while being submerged in the murky waters not to mention the flashflood that is imminent in every rainfall. They face them head on just to have a good life for their family.
Join Atom Araullo as he follows the journey of “Gem Hunters” this Saturday in I-Witness, November 13, 2021, 10:30pm after Daddy’s Gurl.#
‘Gem Hunters’, dokumentaryo ni Atom Araullo, ngayong Sabado sa ‘I-Witness’
Source: Philipines News Journal
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