DENR vows 30% cleaner air by 2011

MANILA, Philippines - Hoping to provide cleaner air for residents and workers of Metro Manila and other urban centers, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon Paje vowed yesterday to reduce the total suspended particulates (TSP) in Metro Manila’s air by 30 percent in 2011.

Paje said that as of 2009, the amount of TSP in the air is 134 micrograms (ug)/ normal cubic meters (Ncm), which is 48 percent beyond the normal standard of 90 ug/Ncm.  

He said TSPs are small solid or liquid particles suspended in the air. The major sources of TSP are diesel vehicles and coal-burning power plants. Dust is also a major source of TSP especially during dry months. Dust can come from unpaved roads and construction activities.

Citing a World Bank report in 2007, Paje said air pollution is already a major cause of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in the country, with an annual government loss of P7.6 billion annually.

The World Bank study is backed by a report released by the University of the Philippines College of Medicine that more than 50 percent of the medicines being bought or sold by drugstores in the country are for respiratory illnesses.

To reverse the situation, Paje said, the DENR is closely coordinating with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) for an intensified enforcement of anti-pollution laws on vehicles, such as the strict implementation of emission testing prior to registration.

According to him, the vehicles, generally termed as mobile sources of air pollution, contribute as much as 80 percent of the pollution load, while the remaining 20 percent comes from industries, referred to as stationary sources. 

DENR monitoring shows that more than 50 percent of vehicles are registered without actual testing by accredited Private Emission Testing Centers (PETCs). 

“There should not be a no-show emission certification,” Paje stressed, adding that if all vehicles are tested prior to registration, the 30 percent reduction of TSP can easily be realized.

Paje also proposed the installation of CCTV cameras at PETCs as a way to check the malpractice of “no show” certification and effect the permanent closure of erring PETCs.