By Jean Duron-Abangan

Davao City (5 August) -- Initial steps of cleaning the Naboc River which carries mining wastes from the gold-rush Mt. Diwata is now being undertaken.

The Ecosystem Research and Development (ERDS) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is carrying out a vulnerability assessment of Naboc watershed

In an interview, Alex R. Palero, ERDS senior science research specialist said the study seeks to assess the vulnerability of Naboc watershed to landslide and flooding while also looking into its water quality and overall environmental condition.

Spanning a total of 7,604 hectares, the covered areas of the study include six barangays of Monkayo and two barangays of Compostela in the province of Compostela Valley.

Covered barangays in Monkayo are Mt. Diwata, Upper Ulip, Naboc, Tubo-Tubo, Babag and Mamunga those in Compostela are Salvacion and Bongkilaton.

"By the end of this year, we hope to come up with a clear picture of the Naboc River," he said referring to the condition of the river and its watershed areas.

The study is expected to come up with maps as to landslide and flooding vulnerability of Naboc watershed as well as scientific assessment of its water quality.

It is also seeks to provide decision-makers which include among others local government officials and heads of concerned government agencies, official data that would serve as basis of formulating a sustainable watershed management plan.

ERDS is undertaking the study as part of its initiatives being a member of the Mining and Environment Task Group which works under the Program Monitoring Coordinating Center (PMCC) of the National Task Force Diwalwal.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Executive Order No. 217 on June 17, 2003 creating the NTFD designating the Department of National Defense (DND) as its head but the task force membership was reconstituted with the issuance of Executive Order No. 258 on December 13, 2003, tasking DENR to take the helm of NTFD.

To carry out her vision of creating an environment to lasting peace and sustainable development in Diwalwal, the PMCC was formed at the regional level composed of government line agencies which are NTFD members. It also included as part of its members, heads of local government units considered as stakeholders of Mt. Diwalwal.

PMCC Secretariat head Noro Alicante explained that the vulnerability assessment became a priority project of PMCC when siltation of Naboc River came out as one of the identified major concerns during the regional PMCC meeting held in February this year.

Desilting the Naboc River of mine-waste sediments coming from small-scale mining operation, is one of the possible actions that would be taken as an offshoot of the vulnerability assessment.

Palero said dredging the Naboc River would not only free Naboc River from toxic mining wastes but would also provide additional source of income as its riverbed possibly has gold deposits.

Meanwhile, Mt. Diwata Barangay Councilor Rector C. Gardoce Sr, chair of the committee on environment and agriculture in a separate interview viewed the vulnerability assessment as a way of sending a message that Mt. Diwata local government cares for areas at its lowland.

Brgy. Mt. Diwata sits at the 729-hectare area delineated for small scale mining. It lies within the 8,100-hectare mining reservation site declared under Proclamation No. 297 issued on November 25, 2003.

"Malimpyo na ang "image" sa Mt. Diwata ug dili na masulti nga wala magtagad ang Mt. Diwata. Buhi tanan. (The image of Mt. Diwata would now get cleared and that they can no longer say that we don't care. We can all live)," he said. "Magtinabangay ta tanan. Limpyohan nato ang Naboc River. (Let's help each other; let's clean the Naboc River," he added.