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Sunday, September 14, 2003
DENR: Naboc River improving
By Ben O. Tesiorna
DAVAO -- Officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 11 claimed Saturday that the state of the Naboc River is getting better after a decrease in the river's mercury contamination level was shown.
Engr. Gregorio Estrada, director of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 11, said as per test result conducted in the Naboc River in Monkayo, Compostela Valley few months ago, mercury contamination registered at below 0.002 ppm.
Estrada said the allowable level is 0.002 ppm.
Estrada attributed the improvement of Naboc River to the concerted effort of the Diwalwal miners to minimize the discharge of hazardous waste down the river.
It was learned that a barangay anti-pollution council was created by barangay chief Franco Tito to ensure that miners put up their own "mini mine tailings dam" to temporarily store mine wastes instead of dumping it directly into the river.
Temporary
Tito, however, said that this is just a temporary solution to the problem adding that the construction of the P50 million Mabatas dam is the long-term answer to the problem on environmental degradation in Diwalwal and Naboc River.
He said once the Mabatas Dam is constructed they will start rehabilitating the Naboc River since Diwalwal mining, he admitted, is the major source of pollution on the said river.
When asked how much the estimated cost for the rehabilitation of Naboc River is, Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) 11 director Ma. Luisa Jacinto said they still do not have enough data to determine such.
But Jacinto asserted that they have already identified where to tap the fund for the rehabilitation. Jacinto said they plan to ask the help of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (Unido) and all the other "willing agencies."
Unido was also instrumental in the mercury detoxification program of the Philippine Government on victims of mercury poisoning in Diwalwal and Davao del Norte three years ago.
Thousands of Monkayo farmers have long been protesting the heavy siltation of Naboc River due to the gold mining operation in Diwalwal.
The farmers even warned they would conduct a protest rally right at the heart of the gold-rush mountain to show the miners the ill effects of their operations on the lives of the farmers at the valley.
(September 14, 2003 issue)
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