TPC-Journal-V5-Issue1

The Professional Counselor /Volume 5, Issue 1 95 Perseverance. The women miners’ attitude of perseverance had a high impact on their effective socializing with their neighbors. During FGDs, participants shared that the community had not encountered cultural problems because of respect for one another; in addition, most participants belonged to the Cebuano tribe. Based on the observation log, the women artisanal miners cared for each other and showed respect to everyone by treating each other without bias. Jocano (1999 ) wrote that the Filipino value delicadeza [being proper], is manifested, for instance, when one does not abuse a friendship by doing something that would be hurtful or embarrassing to a friend. This value is apparent in the practice of sabot that allows women to express and meet their needs for help without sacrificing their pride and dignity. Enriquez (1978) discussed kapwa as a mode of Filipino social interaction which he defined as “recognition of shared identities as well as the compassionate generosity to others in need.” Based on the statement of the sari-sari store owner who was a neighbor of the respondents, the women miners usually incurred credit for food to be paid the following day. This practice of sabot [agreement] maintains social relations based on asal [consideration] as discussed by Jocano (1999) and kagandahang loob [compassion] as depicted by Miranda (1992). The moral undertone of these terms is best expressed by the Filipino concept of pakikiramay , or going out of one’s way in order to share the sorrow of others in times of crisis (Miranda, 1992). The practice of sabot , therefore, addresses the survival needs of the women in a manner that does not compromise their self-esteem, kindness and generosity. It is evident that the women artisanal miners are insecure in terms of their housing, because most of their homes are built on property owned by other people. The participants’ attitude of perseverance had a moderate impact on dealing with the knowledge that the lot their houses were on could be revoked at any time. At the time the study was conducted, most of the houses had to be relocated to accommodate a road-widening project by the provincial government. Houses were uprooted and moved at least 10 meters from the road, causing the miners uncertainty about where to locate, or how far a potential relocation might be from the workplace. Individual case studies showed that the women artisanal miners performed multiple roles including mother, wife, grandmother and household manager, as well as miner. Since these women were willing to sacrifice for their family, it was important for them to nurture their attitude to persist. Though they had the determination to continue with their various roles, they also needed to recharge from time to time. Their ability to manage the toll of their physical and psychological loads led them to a greater sense of self-efficacy. Such a sense allowed them to select challenging settings, explore their environments or create new ones (see Table 2). Table 2 Psychosocial Health of Women Artisanal Miners at Barangay Puntalinao, Davao Oriental in Terms of Perseverance Perseverance Indicator M SD Description Perseverance 2.88 .46 MI Having your contributions overlooked 2.62 .85 MI Hard work to look after and maintain house 3.70 .55 LI Gossip about yourself 2.42 1.14 MI Findings your work too demanding 3.88 .59 LI Financial conflicts with family members 2.31 1.29 MI Feeling alone 2.85 .97 MI Experiencing high levels of heat 3.85 .61 LI Ethnic or tribal conflict 1.62 .70 HI Dissatisfaction with your physical fitness 1.85 1.12 HI Dissatisfaction with your physical appearance 1.81 .81 HI Disqualifying positives 2.00 1.06 MI Disliking your daily activities 2.85 1.05 MI Note . LI = low impact, MI = moderate impact, HI = high impact.