Dredging activities in the Naboc River in Monkayo, Davao de Oro as part of its rehabilitation program entailed no cost to the government.
Chamberlain Babiera, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO-DENR), revealed during the One Davao Virtual Presser that rehabilitation of Naboc River employs public and private partnership wherein private dredgers are cleaning the river voluntarily.
“Kining pagdredge jud sa Naboc River, walay piso nga gigasto ang goberno kay boluntaryo ni siya sa mga dredgers.” (The government did not spent a peso for this dredging of the Naboc River because the dredgers are doing this voluntarily.)
Last 2019, nine dredgers signed a memorandum of Agreement with DENR XI and the Provincial Task Force Naboc River for the clearing of toxic materials in the river particularly mercury.
Babiera also disclosed that the dredgers may recover their expenses through the minerals that can be found in the river: sand and gravel, gold, and mercury.
“Makabawi lang sila; una, ilaha man ang sand and gravel.” (They can regain their expenses; first, they will get the sand and gravel.)
Babiera stressed that the dredgers may obtained income from selling the sand and gravel less the share of the government as required by law.
“Ikaduha nga posible makuhaan nila og bayad sa ilang gasto, ang gold. Sigon sa pakisusi sa Mines and Geosciences Bureau, possible gyud nga naay gold nga ning uban sa kabalas-balasan sa suba.” (Second possible source to recover their expenses is the gold. According to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, there is a possibility that there are gold debris in the rocks and sand in the river.)
PENRO said that all the gold that will be recovered will be sold to the Central Bank of the Philippines, and the gains less the mandatory taxes will go to the dredgers.
“Ikatulo na makuhaan nila sa bayad sa ilang kahago ang kining mercury.” (The third source to pay for their efforts is the mercury.)
Babiera said that according to the consultants, the United Nations may remunerate the proper retrieval of mercury. (PIAXI, Michael Uy)
