TOGON, Benguet – Hard labor is often associated with able-bodied men while women are often elevated to doing the lighter work for being the alleged weaker sex.
However, for both Fineda Gonwigon, 60 and Natty Siyao, 43, who are members of the maintenance team of Itogon Suyoc Resources, Inc (ISRI), they will not be selective in the work that will be assigned to them by their superiors because their main consideration is the income, they can earn income to help sustain their families in Sangilo, Poblacion.
The duo is part of a 20-man maintenance and construction team in charge of doing the hard work to ensure the upkeep of the mine site.
Gonwigon has 8 children who are reportedly doing well with their respective families while Siyao has 6 children who also have their own families.
For Gonwigon, she had been with the company for more than 8 years and she does not think of giving up her work or retiring from the company because she can still do the hard work given her by her superiors.
She pointed out she can still do hard labor because her body is always looking for it and that giving up her work might cause her to be sick, especially if she will be confined in their residence.
Both Gonwigon and Siyao trace their roots to Lubo, Tanudan, Kalinga but they were born and raised within the mine site after their parents migrated to the municipality to look for greener pasture.
Prior to being part of ISRI’s so-called ‘road gang,’ the duo had been involved in rice farming but their produce from this had not been not sufficient to sustain the needs of their growing families thus they were forced to look for other sources of livelihood that led them to accept the laborious job offered by the company.
For Siyao, she claimed there is no difficult job for as long as one values the importance of having a permanent source of income, especially when one is the bread winner of a family like her.
She pointed out that in order to survive the hardship of life, one must be willing to work in any available job to help in meeting the needs of their families.
The duo expressed hope there will be continuity in their existing work with the company no matter how difficult it is because they need to provide for the needs of their respective families from what they earn and that they will continue to do the hard work for as long as their bodies are able to do so and for as long as they will remain healthy.
According to them, there is nothing wrong to be part of a male-dominated work force because they are able to also do the same work that males do as the desire to have a sustainable source of income transcends issues on sex and age.
The duo stipulated they might get sick if they suddenly give up their work because doing the hard work is what keeps them going.
