National Clean Air Month - De La Salle University

What is the National Clean Air Month?

The month of November has been declared as the National Clean Air month under the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999, Republic Act No. 8749 (1). “The Act provides for the creation of a national program of air pollution management focusing primarily on pollution prevention; for the promotion of mass media communication in order to create social awareness and active participation in air quality planning and monitoring. A Certificate of Conformity issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to vehicle manufacturer / assembler or importer shall certify that this new vehicle or vehicle type meets the mandatory requirements in terms of pollution prevention as per this Act. The provisions of this Act extend to the Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), that significantly deplete or otherwise modify the ozone layer,and to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), organic compounds persisting in the environment, bioaccumulating, and resisting photolytic, chemical and biological degradation (including but not limited to dioxin, furan, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides, such as aldrin, dieldrin, DDT, hexachlorobenzene, lindane, toxaphere and chlordane) and other tpoxic or poisounous substances potentially damaging human and animal health and the ecosystem. (2)” The act in short is a comprehensive air quality management policy and program which aims to achieve and maintain healthy air for all Filipinos (3).

Why do we need the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999?

Studies show that air pollution is one of the causes of cardiopulmonary diseases and the increase in air pollution-related deaths. Moreover, air pollution can weaken the body’s defenses against assorted viruses and bacteria. It impacts on one’s health – from becoming sluggish to acquiring deadly diseases, such as lung cancer (4). Air pollution is one of the biggest health emergencies in the Asia-Pacific region, with the Philippines recording 45.3 air pollution-related deaths for every 100,000 people – the third-highest in the world, according to ‘a 2018 study by the World Health Organization(5)’. China ranks #1 with 81.5 recorded deaths followed by Mongolia with 48.8. (6)

How is the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 implemented?

The act has set certain standards for factories, power generating industries, motor vehicles or any industry that emits pollution in the air. Each industry or sector has a standard to comply with. Violations are met with penalties.

One of the biggest step the government did was to have the car emission testing implementation before any motor vehicle can be registered or have its vehicle registration renewed with the Land Transportation Office. “Motor vehicles account for more of the world’s air pollution than any other human activity. They are responsible for virtually all of the carbon monoxide and lead in the air of cities, and a major portion of the NOx, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), fine particles, and toxic chemicals. As the major consumer of oil in the world, vehicles also emit substantial amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases, which contribute to global warming (7)”.

Another is the act prohibits the burning of rice straws in the fields by farmers. Burning of rice straws, generally practiced during the harvest season, causes air pollutants such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and sulphur dioxide (8).

Another is the signing of former President Rodrigo Duterte of an executive order banning smoking in public in 2017. “There are about 17 million Filipino smokers, or nearly a third of the adult population, a 2014 report by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance shows.

Nearly half of all Filipino men and 9 percent of women smoke and experts say the habit costs the economy nearly $4 billion in annual healthcare and productivity losses (9).”

What is De La Salle University’s contribution to Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999?

De La Salle University premises is a non-smoking area as the University recognizes the hazards of smoking to health (10).

All the University’s air-conditioning units including the industrial size that is used in its auditoriums and central air-conditioning units for buildings uses coolant that adheres to the Kyoto Protocol and is environment friendly.

The University submitted its entry to the Universitas Indonesia (UI) GreenMetric World University Ranking on Sustainability for 2022. The University has been participating since 2018 and is in the 200+ bracket in its latest ranking in 2021 (11). The ranking involves the University answering a questionnaire and attaching evidences to support the answers. Some of the questions are related to climate change. One question is “Renewable Energy Sources in Campus”. De La Salle University answered that it has one renewable energy source and it is solar power. The Rufino Campus in Bonifacio Global City has solar panels on its roof that can generate around 100,000 Kilowatts per hour in a year (12). The night lamp post around the Marian Quadrangle is also solar powered (13).

Another climate related entry in the questionnaire is “Greenhouse gas emission reduction program”. The university answered with bike sharing program which was implemented during the pandemic for employees having difficulty commuting to work, the installation of bike parking stations in Manila Campus, Rufino Campus and Laguna Campus for employees and students who uses bikes a means of transportation and the use of electric vehicles in Laguna Campus.

What can we do as our contribution to Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999?

As the whole world is awaiting the outcome of the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that began last November 6, 2022 and will end on November 18, 2022, we can do our little share.

According to Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, here are many small, but critical sources of air pollution in our homes and neighborhoods (14)

Drive your car less. Vehicle exhaust is a major source of air pollution in Minnesota. Carpool. Bike. Bus. Telecommute. Electric vehicles. How could you burn less fuel?
Keep your car in good repair. Fix exhaust and oxygen sensor problems ASAP. Check your tire pressure monthly; under-inflated tires have been shown to lower gas mileage, particularly at lower speed.
Turn off your engine. An idling engine creates a hot spot of pollution. Buses and big trucks produce particularly unhealthy exhaust. Parents and teachers can help their schools and daycares develop and implement no-idling policies.
Don’t burn your garbage. Burning your household garbage is dangerous to your health and our environment, and generally against the law in Minnesota. If you’re still using a burn barrel, wood stove, or fire-pit for your trash, contact your county about arranging for trash hauling services.
Limit backyards fire in the city. Smoke from backyard fires can cause unhealthy conditions for hundreds of people, especially during stagnant weather conditions. Since cities have elevated levels of pollution compared to rural areas, urban fires are more of a nuisance to people with asthma and other lung conditions. If you do have a campfire:
- Keep fires brief and small — 3 feet across or less.
- Burn only dry fire wood. In the Twin Cities it is illegal to burn any waste in a fire, even yard waste.
- Never start campfires during an air quality alert. Sign up for texts or emails about elevated air pollution levels.
Plant and care for trees. Trees filter pollutants and absorb carbon dioxide. Trees also release oxygen into the atmosphere and help cool our homes.
Switch to electric or hand-powered lawn equipment. Gas-powered engines like those on lawnmowers and leaf or snow blowers often lack pollution control devices. An hour running a lawn mower can produce nearly the same amount of pollution as a 100-mile car trip! Use hand-powered or electric lawn care equipment instead.
Use less energy. Choose efficient appliances and heating systems. Get an energy audit and follow the advice. Turn off electrical stuff you are not using. It all adds up.
Become a champion for clean air.

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