By Minerva Newman CEBU CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Central Visayas will prioritize 11 rivers for cleanup and development. DENR Regional Executive Director Gilbert Gonzales has directed all provincial environment and natural resources officers to finalize profiling of river bodies in their areas, work closely with the local government units and stakeholders and proceed immediately with the clean-up of Class C water bodies. Class C water bodies are those that are identified “safe for propagation of fish, recreation and for post-treatment manufacturing processes.” In Central Visayas, there are 11 Class C rivers, according to the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB). There are three Class C rivers in Bohol: the Abatan River- Cortes Bohol (Kamayaan down to its outlet at Poblacion, Cortes, Bohol), the Inabanga River-Inabanga, Bohol (Cawayan, Inabanga and downstream) and the Manaba River-Garcia Hernandez, Bohol (downstream of Calma). In Cebu, the prioritized Class C rivers are Bulacao River-Talisay and Cebu (source Bulacao river); Guindarohan- Minglanilla Cebu (Cantso-an, Naga and downstream); Guadalupe River- Cebu City (downstream of Sandayong Bridge); Luyang River-Carmen Cebu (segment within Cogon, Carmen and below Sapangdaku River and its tributaries; and Toledo City, Cebu (downstream of Cantabaco, Toledo City). In Negros Oriental the Class C rivers are the Banica River-Negros Oriental with exit in Dumaguete City (Jawa, Valencia, Taclobo Dgte down to its exit point at Calindangan, Dumageute); Panamangan River-Bais City, Negros Oriental (entire stretch from its exit point to South Bais bay going upstream) and Sicopong River- Negros Oriental (entire river system). Gonzales welcomed the support and participation that DENR is getting from partner local government units and other stakeholders in cleaning the rivers. He specifically mentioned the Cebu City government.