Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu (inset) leads the launch of the dredging operation for the 24-kilometer (km) Naboc River in Barangay Naboc, Monkayo, Davao de Oro, in line with the, “Lihok Alang sa Naboc” river cleanup project of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Region 11. A total of 9.98 kms of the river will be dredged mechanically while the remaining 14.02 kms, which is mostly upstream, will undergo desilting. In photo is the state-of-the-art equipment which will be used for the project. In 2017, the water quality of the river exceeded the standards for Class C rivers because of the high levels of hazardous chemicals such as mercury, cyanide, and fecal coliform. Present during the launch are DENR officials and members of the local governments and indigenous cultural communities of Davao de Oro. ###