More clean air initiatives slated this month

MANILA — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has lined up more activities for November in observance of the country’s Clean Air Month, aimed at improving air quality nationwide.

Friday, Nov. 17, is National Check Your Car Day.

DENR also noted that 50 units of air quality monitoring equipment from the private sector are scheduled for launching on Monday, Nov. 20.

The planned activities are in line with Proclamation 1109 series of 1997’s air pollution reduction goal.

Proclamation 1109 declared November as “Clean Air Month Through National Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance Consciousness.”

The proclamation promotes regular maintenance of vehicles, as the DENR identifies the transport sector as a major source of air pollutants.

“Motorist’s neglect of vehicle maintenance remains a major contributor to the rise in vehicle emission,” Proclamation 1109 notes.

Proclamation 1109 recognizes that engine malfunctions contribute to excessive pollution but can be corrected through simple vehicle maintenance.

Earlier this month, DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and local group Clean Air Philippines Movement Inc. (CAPMI) launched the Clean Air Patrol program in Metro Manila.

Such program uses drones of CAPMI members to help monitor air quality and identify pollution sources.

In 2015, DENR and Coalition of Clean Air Advocates of the Philippines (CCAAP) conducted the second National Check Your Car Day to promote public consciousness focusing on the need to maintain vehicles.

For that occasion, DENR said CCAAP mobilized over 500 private emission testing centers (PETCs) nationwide.

Those PETCs provided free vehicle emission tests to volunteered vehicles registered with Land Transportation Office, noted DENR.

The National Check Your Car Day was launched in 2014.

EMB also continues to monitor the quality of the country’s air.

The air quality monitoring stations that the EMB earlier installed nationwide gather data on air pollutants in areas they cover.

EMB uses the data as inputs for further developing measures aimed at better cleaning the air.