Slow release of funds keeps Metro air dirty

Despite the implementation of the Clean Air Act, Metro Manila’s air remains dirty to this day.

And according to environment officials, the effort to fast-track the improvement of the quality of air may not be getting as much support from the national government.

Undersecretary for Forestry and Environment Ramon Paje said yesterday the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has yet to fully turn over to them the P200-million fund for air quality management, which could help boost the campaign of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for clean air.

Paje noted that the DBM has only released P500,000 from the Air Quality Management Fund to the DENR.

The P200-million fund comes from a collection of fines or penalties from violators of the Clean Air Act in the last four years, he pointed out.

Under the law, fines and penalties collected are supposed to be deposited in a separate account with the DBM, called the Air Quality Management Fund, or Fund 55.

"The fund should be turned over to the DENR then to the local government units (LGUs). The money would be used to support programs for clean air at the LGUs and to buy more or upgrade equipment to improve air quality," Paje explained.

"I just don’t know why the DBM has not turned over the fund to us," he said.

Paje further lamented that initiatives for clean air supposedly need a budget of P120 million a year, but the national government merely gave them P20 million for this year.

He stressed the need for "radars" that would be used to apprehend smoke-belchers on the road, a method which is deemed more effective than actual and physical road-side apprehensions.

He revealed that they are currently requesting support from USAid, as they continue to seek more funding to implement programs for clean air.

"Achieving clean air is not the sole responsibility of the DENR, the DOTC, or the LTO.  It must be a concerted effort.  And we are open to all the support we can get just to improve the quality of our air," Paje said.

He said that as of July 2005, the total suspended particulates (TSP) in Metro Manila was at 152 micrograms per normal cubic meters (ug/hcm), which is above the national standard of 90 ug/hcm. 

In 2003 and 2004, the TSP was at 170.8 ug/hcm and 161.4 ug/hcm, respectively.

On the other hand, the amount of particulate matter (PM) in Metro Manila was at tolerable levels.

The national standard for ambient air is PM 10 or 150 ug/hcm.

The PM is a microscopic airborne pollutant that travels deep into the lungs and block airways causing a variety of respiratory problems.  These substances are emitted by smoke belching vehicles and can also be found at construction sites in the form of road dust and soot.

"The air in Metro Manila is still dirty, but significantly improving," Paje pointed out.  "But we hope to meet the national standard by 2010."

The DENR checks the quality of air in the country through road-side monitoring and ambient air monitoring.

Air pollution in the country is caused by mobile sources, stationary sources such as factories and industries and area sources like kaingin or open burning.  However, the top polluter in urban areas is emission from vehicles.

The World Bank’s 2004 Philippine Environment Monitor (PEM) reported that in 2001, the health cost of air pollution is estimated to have reached an alarming figure of more than $400 million in four key cities in the Philippines namely, Metro Manila, Davao, Cebu and Baguio.