Advocates urge prioritization of active mobility to combat air pollution

MANILA, Philippines — Prioritizing active forms of mobility and improving the public transportation system will help reduce emissions that cause air pollution and contribute to climate change, a coalition of sustainable transport advocates said Tuesday. 

The Move As One Coalition said that the smog that blanketed Metro Manila last week highlights the importance of emissions reduction from vehicles, which it labeled as the “main culprit” responsible for the capital region’s toxic air. 

Air quality monitoring data showed heightened alert in some parts of Metro Manila, which the Department of Environment and Natural Resources primarily attributed to emissions from heavy vehicular traffic, especially during rush hour. 

The Move As One Coalition stressed that building protected bike lanes and safe pathways and improving the public health system “will help reduce the unacceptable heavy toll that the toxic air in our country has taken on our people and economy.”

According to a study conducted by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air in 2019, air pollution was the cause of 66,230 deaths in the Philippines. 

The study found that the economic cost associated with air pollution exposure was P2.3 trillion, or 11.9% of the country’s gross domestic product for that year. Premature deaths accounted for the majority of the economic cost, amounting to P2.2 trillion. 

The coalition added that prioritizing cycling and a more efficient public transport system over the use of private motor vehicles “will help our country make the transition to people-centered and climate-friendly mobility solutions.”

Active modes of transport produce minimal to no greenhouse gas emissions and can contribute to sustainable urban planning while promoting personal health benefits through increased physical activity.

‘Prioritize the needs of 94%’

The Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028 declares that “pedestrians and cyclists will be accorded highest priority in the hierarchy of road users.” 

However, the Move As One Coalition noted that the proposed budget for active transport infrastructure was reduced to P500 million from a high of P2 billion in 2022.

“We call on the government to prioritize the needs of 94% of Filipinos who do not own four-wheeled motor vehicles and the 87% of Filipinos who believe that ‘the roads in Philippine cities and municipalities will be better off if public transportation, bicycles, and pedestrians are given priority over private vehicles,” the coalition said, referring to a survey of the Social Weather Stations. 

“Air pollution is everyone’s concern, and we must all work together to clear the air. But there is only so much that citizens can do,” it added.