The quality of air in Metro Manila is fast deteriorating as years pass by. And if this will continue, experts believe Filipinos may no longer have clean air to breathe in the near future.
"We owe it to our children to protect our environment, our air. What we need right now is to reduce the pollutants that we have in the air," said Benjamin Abalos, chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
The MMDA is now working double time to reduce vehicle smoke emission in the metropolis.
The agency knows that it is a tall order to implement the anti-smoke belching program of the government, although it recognizes that it needs to start the campaign now.
"It’s always like that. People tend to resist new ideas, new concepts. But when you get them to realize the importance of a program, they give their support," Abalos noted.
The government’s anti-smoke belching program is a primary component of Republic Act 8749, more popularly known as the Clean Air Act which was passed in 1999.
The law provides for the phase out of leaded gasoline and the lowering of the sulfur content of diesel to 20 percent.
These provisions were intended to curb pollution in Metro Manila which is primarily caused by motor vehicles’ emitting carbon monoxide.
According to the MMDA’s Anti-Smoke Belching Task Force chief Ramon Santiago, any dilly-dallying in the anti-smoke belching campaign could take its toll on the health of every Filipino.
"If we are to fight pollution, we must start now because we can reap the fruits of any anti-smog program only after 10 years. Complacency must be a no-no for us," he said.
There are 3 million registered motor vehicles in the country. Of this, 1.3 are running on Metro Manila’s streets.
Last Saturday, the MMDA started its "Kontra Usok Free Vehicle Emission Test" program beside the People’s Power Monument along EDSA.
Under the program, free emission testing will be made available to all motorists every Saturday of this month at the said venue.
"Normally, we charge P50 for every test. But we will waive this fee just to encourage motorists to have their vehicle examined. We hope to test at least 500 vehicles," Santiago said.
Those who avail of the service can also have the chance to get technical advise from experts of Mitsubishi Motors.
"The idea is for motorists to know, without fear of apprehension, if their vehicles emit smoke beyond the limit. We hope to instill environmental consciousness in them," he added.
The MMDA will form 25 teams of trained enforcers who will be sent to various places of the metropolis to randomly check motor vehicles for smoke emission. At present, roadside tests are conducted only along EDSA.
The teams will be armed with opacity meters that the MMDA will buy using the loans granted by the Asian Development Bank. A vehicle that fails to register 2.51 points in the opacity meter fails the test.
"Enforcement alone will not make the law effective," said Santiago. "We have to encourage the public to maintain and test their vehicles for smoke emission. If we will not act now, we may lose fresh air sooner that we expected."