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CHAPTER II
METHODOLOGY
Sampling Site

Baliangao is a fifth class municipality (Socio-Economic Demographic Profile of Mis.

Occ., 2006) of the 11 municipalities of the province of Misamis Occidental. It is located 8.6181°

N latitude and 123.6288° E longitude. It is comprised of 15 barangays and according to the 2015

Census it has a population of 17,902 which is 2.84% of the total population of Misamis

Occidental. Five of its barangays that are within the Murciellagos Bay are namely Punta Miray,

Punta Sulong, Southern Poblacion, Norhtern Poblacion and Naburos Island.

Figure 1. Murcielagos Bay

The researcher used three different barangays in Baliangao that is near the Murciallagos

Bay, specifically in Naburos Island, Punta Miray and Punta Sulong. Naburos Island is located
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08.63168° N latitude and 123.57161° E longitude, Punta Miray is located 08.65456°N longitude

and 123.58392°E longitude, and Punta Sulong is located 08.63973° N latitude and 123.58749° E

longitude. These places were believed to be connected to the place where small-scale miners in

dumo their mercury waste. The researcher found out that Horse Mussels (Modiolus

philipinarium Hanley) can be found near the area. The researcher asked permission from the

barangay captains and other barangay officials in the sampling site prior to the collection of

samples.

Figure 2. Naburos Island (Sampling Site 1)

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Figure 3. Punta Miray (Sampling Site 2)

Figure 4. Punta Sulong (Sampling Site 3)

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Collection and Preparation of Samples

The researcher took the coordinates of the three sampling sites using the GPS, the

direction of the flow of the water and the width and length of the Horse Mussels (Modiolus

philippinarium Hanley). The researcher collected and gathered the Horse Mussels (Modiolus

philippinarium Hanley) and attached sediments in three different areas of Baliangao. The

researcher collected in Punta Silong, Punta Miray and Naburos Island. The reseacher collected

three Horse Mussels each place and collecting a total of 9 Horse Mussels. The reseacher used

random sampling method for the collection of the Horse Mussels and collected the sediments

surrounding the Horse Mussel. The Horse Mussels were then immediately washes with distilled

water and removed all the unnecessary things attached to it. It was then placed in ziplock bags

and were organized based on the place where it was collected. All the ziplock bags were then

placed in an ice cooler filled with ice to preserve the samples and was secured to be ready for

traveling to University of San Carlos in Cebu.

The samples were analyzed using the Shimadzu Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer

AA-6300 of the University of San Carlos Water Laboratory, Talamban, Cebu City, Philippines.

The in-charge of the Water Laboratory took care in handling and disposing of samples

containing Mercury (Hg).

Analysis of Data

The results will then be compared to a similar study published 10 years ago and other

similar studies and then results will be discussed.

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Figure 5. Flow of Experimentation

ESTABLISHING THE
SAMPLING SITE

COLLECTION OF
SAMPLES

PREPARATION OF
SAMPLES

WASTE
ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES
DISPOSAL
-the “Digestion” process was done by the Water Lab
of the University of San Carlos -the waste disposal was
done by the Water Lab
-Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AA-6300) of the University of San
at University of San Carlos – Water Laboratory, Cebu Carlos
City, Philippines

DATA ANALYSIS
\ -the results of the study will be
compared to a similar study 10
years ago and other similar studies