The air pollution in Metro Manila is nothing new to Filipinos. So much so that when the COVID-19 lockdown happened in 2020, the air quality greatly improved. Many people were surprised to realize that the gorgeous Sierra Madre mountain range could be seen from the city’s center.
Just one week after the government banned public transit and non-essential activities in an effort to curb the spread of the virus, pictures of bright sky, gorgeous sunsets, and the Sierra Madre serving as the backdrop to the huge city went viral. By following the steps of other countries in fighting the COVID-19 outbreak, the Philippine government unintentionally assisted in lowering the air pollution in Metro Manila.
Cancer-Causing Pollution
Based on data from Airtoday.ph’s monitoring station in Quezon City, in the northern part of Metro Manila, Dr. Mylene Cayetano of the University of the Philippines’ Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (IESM) claimed that during the first six weeks of the enhanced community quarantine, fine particulate matter or PM2.5 levels decreased by 40% to 66% compared to the month of January.
Particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers and 10 micrometers, respectively, is referred to as PM2.5 and PM10. They are the two types of contaminants that air monitors measure. Both have detrimental effects on health, but PM2.5 is more hazardous, in Cayetano’s opinion, because of how easily it can enter the lungs due to its small size.
PM2.5 has been associated with respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, PM2.5 is a significant global cause of lung cancer, according to Cayetano.
According to Cayetano, who is also the technical adviser of Airtoday, an air monitoring project of the Rotary Club of Makati and the Lung Center of the Philippines, the average PM2.5 levels for the first six weeks of the ECQ experienced a 19% to 54% decrease compared to February.
Air Pollution in the Philippines
According to Veronica Southerland and colleagues, between 2000 and 2019, the majority of the urban population of the world resided in regions with harmful concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). More than 1/8 million deaths were attributed to urban PM2.5 in 2019 due to its average global concentration of 35 g/m3, which is seven times the WHO’s 5 g/m3 limit. The Western Pacific, where our country, the Philippines, is located, has the highest rates of PM2.5-related mortality, exceeding the global urban average. Indeed, air pollution places a severe health burden on the Philippines.
Current PM2.5 concentrations in metropolitan areas of the Philippines are higher than the WHO guidelines, according to available studies. In the megacity of Metro Manila, the concentration of PM2.5 exceeds 58.4 g/m3 during the dry season. Filipinos’ health continues to suffer as a result of air pollution. For instance, Metro Manila traffic police officers who are frequently exposed to high PM2.5 concentrations had a 1.24 times higher risk of developing chronic obstructive lung disease.
The COVID-19 pandemic made the air pollution issue in the Philippines’ metropolitan centers much worse. A research of Asian nations, including the Philippines, revealed that populations who were routinely exposed to lower air quality had a higher risk of COVID-19 death than communities who lived in environments with clean air.
Additionally, the harm caused by air pollution has a significant impact on the economy. According to a report from 2021, air pollution costs the Philippines about US$87 billion a year in healthcare and welfare expenses, as well as reduced productivity in the labor force and economy.
Wrapping Up
The Philippines is still far from establishing thorough air pollution management almost three decades after passing the bill on Clean Air Act.
Raising the nation’s PM2.5 limits aligned with WHO guidelines is an urgent priority since it will strongly encourage business to address the causes of air pollution right away, such as by switching to renewable energy and developing low-carbon transportation options. These actions will benefit the health of people and our environment.
For decades to come, the health of people in the Philippines, one of the most climate-vulnerable nations in the world, will be increasingly put in danger by the sources of ambient air pollution, which are also the main emitters of greenhouse gas that continue to exacerbate climate change.
Let’s keep everyone safe and healthy. Shift to more sustainable and less pollution options. In addition to doing great practices for the environment, having a proper ventilation system to improve indoor air can help protect you from the effects of air pollution. Get in touch with us today to know how our products and services can help.
