Declare 2015 air pollution awareness year, Palace urged

MANILA, Philippines - Local scientists and doctors called on Malacañang to declare 2015 as the National Air Pollution Awareness Year (NAPAY) in view of the worsening air pollution in the country and the risk of increased cancer cases it may bring.

Dr. Custer Deocaris, a scientist of the Department of Science and Technology, said there is a need to raise awareness on air pollution, especially after the recent move of the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classifying air pollution as a carcinogen.

“It has been declared to be as grave and dangerous as tobacco. But unlike in tobacco, you can’t run away from air pollution. It knows no boundary. We cannot escape it. We need a declaration for an all-out war against air pollution because if we do not do this, our cities could be the next Beijing in terms of air quality,” he said.

The Partnership for Clean Air (PCA) also stressed that there is an urgent need for the public to be educated on air pollution caused by fine “particulate matter or PM.”

The “particulate matter is composed of tiny particles of dust, sand or other chemicals. Greenhouse gases and particulate matter are different things, but both are connected in bringing about air pollutants, which persist in the atmosphere for a very long period of time,” explained Dr. Virgilio Lazaga, chairman of environment and sanitation of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA).

“In Metro Manila, vehicles are the most common source of air pollution and we are counting on NAPAY to provide public awareness and lay down measures to minimize, if not eradicate, air pollutants. We hope that we could also do this by the efficient use and sharing of public roads,” PCA executive director Victoria Segovia said.

The fight against air pollution includes monitoring the levels of greenhouse gases and PM, which are especially harmful as they are able to penetrate the lungs when inhaled.

The Department of Health reported that 60 to 70 percent of medicines sold in the market are for bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

“Air pollution levels in this country are unhealthy. Most Filipinos have respiratory and cardiovascular diseases directly related to air pollution,” Lazaga said.

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, since 80 percent of pollution load is contributed by mobile sources or vehicles, remedial measures will mostly target motor vehicles. This will be done through the strengthened anti-smoke belching campaign of local government units and strict implementation of emission test prior to vehicle registration by the Land Transportation Office.

Despite having private emission testing centers (PETCs) to provide services to public transport vehicles, it was speculated that “ghost emission testing” or so-called non-appearance (NA) tests of vehicles is still prevalent in the country.

This despite Republic Act 8749, or the Clean Air Act of 1999, which provides that the state recognizes the principle that “polluters must pay” and “that a clean and healthy environment is for the good of all and should, therefore, be the concern of all.”