Disclose true state of air quality in Metro Manila — Mikey

Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo asked the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) yesterday to divulge the true state of air quality in Metro Manila after the Makati City government debunked the EMB report identifying the city as among the air quality hot spots in the metropolis.

In a statement, Arroyo said the denial of the Makati City Pollution Control Office (MCPO) makes it more imperative for the EMB-DENR to report the real status of air quality in Metro Manila so that anti-pollution control measures will be adopted by the government.

Arroyo said it is the duty of the DENR to report to Congress the progress of the pollution control efforts and make the necessary recommendations in areas where there is need for legislative action as spelled out in Article 7 Sec. 52 of the Republic Act 8749 or the Clean Air Act.

"The EMB-DENR should tell us the real score about the air quality in Metro Manila," Arroyo said. "If the air quality is really poor in some areas, then this should serve as a wake up call for concerned agencies to intensify their anti-pollution campaign."

EMB chief Cesar Siador earlier said the air quality hot spots failed the agency’s monthly air quality monitoring in July, as they registered TSP levels above the allowable 230 micrograms of pollutants per normal cubic meter.

He blamed the worsening air pollution in the areas to the huge volume of traffic and factories, among others. Aside from Makati City, the other air quality hot spots identified by the EMB were Valenzuela City, Congressional Ave. in Quezon City, the area around the National Printing Office in Quezon City, EDSA-East Ave in Quezon City and the area around the MMDA building in Makati City.

Arroyo said he was alarmed by Siador’s warning that unless immediate measures are implemented to reduce the level of pollutants, there is a high chance that residents in the areas considered as hot spots will develop various respiratory ailments.

In light of the EMB report, Arroyo earlier called for a stricter enforcement of the Clean Air Act, particularly in the conduct of emission tests and the apprehension of smoke belchers.

He said that stricter enforcement against smoke-belching vehicles would also have a positive impact on the government’s energy conservation program, since high-polluting vehicles are the most inefficient users of precious fossil fuels.

Arroyo made the call as he urged the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to undertake more emission tests and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to be more aggressive in catching smoke belchers for the efficient implementation of the government’s comprehensive anti-pollution law.

Chapter 6, Sec. 46 of the law for instance, Arroyo said, provides for the impounding of vehicles which fail the emission test. The owner or operator of the vehicle shall be required to correct the vehicle’s defects before it can be allowed to be driven again.