Pocket miners show interest to upgrade skills ;Pilak offers advance training

March 16, 2020 Community Billboard

BAGUIO CITY – Rosallyn Onos is just one of the countless daughters of local small-scale miners, who finished college education through hard work, dedication, and sacrifices of their parents.
Rosallyn’s father braved the dangers of working underground as a pocket miner. On Wednesday (March 11), the 22-year old Rosallyn, small-scale miners and their sons and daughters have successfully finished 10-day hands-on basic jewelry training.
The silver craft training was initiated by Emerald Small-Scale Multi-Purpose Cooperative, a local based pocket miners group which artisanal mining operations are at Barangay Kias.
“The training has provided us new skills of basic jewelry making,” said the amiable Onos, a BS Physical Education-Sports and Wellness Management graduate of Benguet State University (BSU).
“I was so excited when learned that our association will conduct jewelry training,” added Onos, the sixth of seven sIblings, upon receiving her certificate.
Her father, Rudy Onos is the president of Emerald SmallScale Miners Multi-Purpose Cooperative. “In behalf of my fellow trainees, we would like to express our gratitude to our trainors-[Sir] Max Aromin, Joshua Marinas of Pilak Silver Shop and Gift Shop.
And of course to Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA-CAR).” “Sir, your patience has inspired us. Working on our piece of silver, we have realized the sacrifices made by our ancestors-parents in mining precious metals,” said Onos.
Her co-trainees include small-scale miners who are members of the association, and wives of pocket of miners. In fact, the basic training program had its “first honor” in the person of Leo Dingo, 25, a pocket miner for over a decade.
According to his co-trainees, Dingo always the first one to present his produced hand-craft which encouraged others.
Dingo finished secondary education (high school) through DepEd’s –Alternative Learning School (ALS) program. As this developed, Rommel Marcelo, proprietor manager of Pilak Silver Shop & Gift Shop, who provided the trainer , vowed to assist further the members of Emerald SmallScale Multi-Purpose Cooperative.
Marcelo, however, appealed to TESDA to “ease” some of the requirements in the co-called Community-Based Livelihood program.
Pilak Silver Shop & Gift Shop is an institution by itself. Decades it boosted the city’s tourism efforts, selling quality hand-craft silver products, and buying locally produced silvers.
“I saw the enthusiasm of the trainees. We are willing to teach them further,” said Marcelo, who is also an active member of the city’s Creative Council. Actually, TESDA-CAR has provided the fees of the trainers through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).Zeny Suni of Baguio-Benguet TESDA said her agency plans to discuss with officials of Emerald Small-Scale Miners Multi-Purpose Cooperative on how to ‘sustain’ the project.
Leoncio Naoy, chairman of Emerald Small-Scale Miners Multi-Purpose Cooperative, for his part assured that their association will coordinate with Marcelo of PILAK Silver Shop and TESDA-CAR in order to continue their project, aim to upgrade the skills of their members.
“What we accomplished for 10-days is just basic skill development,” said Na-oy, who is also a member of the City Mining Regulatory Board (CMRB).“ I call harmonious jewelry, the silver-craft you made. It’s a symbol of unity.”
“You have put an added-value on our locally produced silver, one way of maintaining our small-scale mining operations- our source of livelihood”, Na-oy stressed.
He said their association invested P100k for the 10-day skills development training. The amount was spent for the payment of training tools and materials, among others.
Na-oy revealed that years, he together with members of their association have been “knocking” the doors of concerned government agencies to assist them in skills development.
Until recently, in a national mining seminar held in Manila, he (Na-oy) and Manuel Wong, TESDA –CAR regional were accidentally were grouped together.“I that meeting, i took the chance to briefly present our association’s plans and projects with director Wong.
And without hesitation our good TESDA-CAR regional director expressed his willingness to help.” Months after, the association through Na-oy and Onos went out of town (Bulacan) to buy materials and tools intended for the said silver making hands on basic training.
“The price of tools (silversmith) were so expensive, I was planning to give up. But our president (Onos) lifted my spirit when he told me: We started this project together, and we are already here, we better buy it. For sure, it will inspire our members,” Na-oy revealed.
“During the 10-day silver craft training, a number of trainees missed their snack and some even forget to take their lunch. It only shows their interest and enthusiasm to learn, “said softspoken Aromin, a veteran silversmith from La Union Province.

Primo Agatep/ABN