Loren wants PPP for clean air

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Loren Legarda is pushing for more public-private partnerships for clean air now that there is proof that the efforts are paying off.

Citing the pilot testing of the Clean Air Scorecard of the Asian Development Bank and the Clean Air Initiatives for Asian Cities, Legarda said the city of Manila received a “good air quality” rating alongside Bangkok in Thailand; Hanoi, Vietnam; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Jinan, China.

The test results were presented during the ongoing Better Air Quality Conference in Singapore.

Legarda said that the good rating given to Manila was an indication that the efforts undertaken by government agencies, hand-in-hand with the private sector, in combating air pollution are seeing fruition.

“This is welcome good news. It translates to improved health conditions for the residents of Manila, particularly the marginalized sector who are most exposed to pollution,” Legarda said.

Legarda, chairwoman of the Senate committee on climate change, previously aired her concern about the deteriorating air quality in Metro Manila based on the report of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources that 80 percent of the pollution in the country is caused by vehicles.

She also cited reports that the Land Transportation Office has been remiss in its duties in conducting emission testing of buses.

Legarda said there are allegations that buses are not physically subjected to the tests but merely pay a certain amount in exchange for the issuance of the vehicle registration.