The mission is dubbed as the “Airborne and Satellite Investigation of Asian Air Quality” (ASIA-AQ).

Together with Korea’s National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Philippines (DENR), the Philippine Space Agency, the Manila Observatory and other partners, the flying laboratory will collect detailed air quality data over multiple locations in Asia using aircraft, ground sites, and satellites to improve the understanding of local air quality issues.

NASA’s DC-8 aircraft, which carries a total of 26 scientific instruments, will fly across major parts of Luzon together with the Gulfstream 3 (G-3) aircraft to collect airborne sampling and understand the air quality in the country.

The ASIA-AQ mission will also conduct air analysis through a collaboration between local scientists, air quality agencies, and local governments. 

Katherine Paredero, a researcher at the University of California Irvine, said the two-month mission includes South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia. 

Paredero said the mission will also have ground level measurements and satellite measurement to complete the data analysis for the local air quality in each country. 

“This is going to take place in the next two months. Two weeks in the Philippines, two weeks in South Korea, two weeks in Thailand, and two weeks in Malaysia. For now, it’s just Asia. It’s a cohesive study that we are all going to compile together,” Paredero said.

Bid for cleaner air

The cities in Asia, where we are going to, are the megacities in Asia that are all suffering from pretty bad air quality, mostly very high levels of particulate matter,” said NASA platform scientist Jack Dibb.

Dibb said the collaborative mission is funded by NASA. They will coordinate with national government agencies and other local scientists and partners to determine factors affecting the local air, its issues, and help change policies as part of a mitigation process to improve the local air in the country.

“So in the end, it’s going to be the government of the Philippines that is going to take what we all learned together and change the policies to improve the air quality in the Philippines,” said Dibb. “And all work together to try to figure out which control measures, mitigations, will have the biggest benefit with the least cost.”

DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga said the investigation will help the government address factors and understand air pollution in the country as it also poses risks to human health. Loyzaga said the study will also help address the climate crisis as well as global warming.

Loyzaga said the ASIA-AQ mission will help the country in strengthening air quality regulations, implement emission control mitigations, and develop sustainable strategies to improve air quality in the country.

“We all want cleaner air. All over the world, governments are now working to prioritize the prevention of air pollution as an essential solution to one of the most pressing environmental problems of the world,” Loyzaga said during the mission briefing at the Hilton Hotel in Clark Freeport on February 8.

“The ASIA-AQ will help improve air quality monitoring, facilitating regional collaboration and data sharing, supporting policy development, and providing capacity-building opportunities,” she added.

A total of five engineers and air quality specialists from the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau will join NASA in the flying laboratory to learn and observe the scientific research to build their technical capacity and expertise.

“To complement the project, DENR will also be enhancing its air quality instrumentation network this year, made possible by the 2024 national budget and by partnerships with development partners,” Loyzaga said.

The ASIA-AQ mission has already conducted two flight research flights since it arrived last February 2. They are set to fly again over Luzon until February 15.

The ASIA-AQ project in the Philippines is under a joint understanding of the DENR and NASA. – Rappler.com

“If your goal is to help mitigate climate change, the way to go is to go full electric,” Elmer Francisco, CEO of Francisco Motors, told Rappler in an interview.

Francisco Motors has been in the business for 77 years. Since they started in 1947, Francisco Motors relied on Japan-based companies Isuzu and Mazda for the internal combustion engines of their jeepneys.

Francisco said they have resolved not to buy engines from foreign manufacturers anymore. “We will build our own. What we’ll do is full electric.”

They are set to release 1,000 units of their electric jeep by the second quarter of 2024. This jeep is pegged at P985,000 – a bit more expensive than new traditional ones that range from P675,000 to P850,000 but less than the average P2 million cost of other modern jeepneys.

Making public transport, one of the biggest polluting sectors in the Philippines, cleaner is part of the country’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that exacerbate climate change. The PUVMP is the government’s effort at nationwide transformation of land-based public transport. It requires utility vehicles with at least Euro-4 engines, which run on diesel with less sulfur content.

But Euro-4 is already obsolete in other advanced countries, said Francisco. “They’re throwing their garbage at us and monetizing it at high cost.”

Creating an electric fleet

According to Francisco, his company was able to make an electric jeepney much cheaper than the imported modern jeepney units because most of the parts are locally manufactured, including the battery.

The company is building a factory in a special economic zone in Camarines Norte, powered by a 100-megawatt solar farm, where production of electric jeepneys will take place. Once built, it is projected to produce 25,000 units per year.

Francisco Motors will make use of the incentives under the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA). This includes duty-free importation of materials needed for the production of batteries and assembly of electric vehicles.

When the batteries of their electric jeepneys die, they will be stored in the special economic zone to be repurposed for second life applications.

Unlike most of the vehicles of the other PUVMP players, which are actually mini-buses, Francisco Motors’ electric jeep retains the iconic look of the “King of the Road.” It is also exploring other designs and looking at lighter materials like aluminum.

While a more aerodynamic design is more fuel efficient for other modes of transport, Francisco said it makes more sense to prioritize making jeepneys lighter because it is a slow-moving vehicle.

Lightweight electric vehicles are more economic as they use smaller batteries and have longer driving range.

What’s stopping us?

If a local manufacturer can produce a full electric jeep, what’s stopping the Philippines from adopting this technology instead of settling for mostly Euro-4 compliant vehicles?

Aside from high upfront costs, the infrastructure that supports electric public transport is still lacking.

Currently, electric vehicles have limited driving range because there are only a few charging stations in the Philippines. In contrast, some countries in Europe are already experimenting with electric roads, which enable vehicles to charge while driving.

Battery swapping stations, the alternative to charging stations, are just beginning to be rolled out in parts of Metro Manila. (LOOK: Gogoro Smartscooters, battery-swapping tech arrive in the Philippines)

“If all our PUVs will be electric vehicles, I think we also need to implement large-scale charging stations,” transport expert Sandy Mae Gaspay of the University of the Philippines Institute of Civil Engineering, told Rappler. “Right now, operators just have their own charging or battery-swapping stations.” 

The Philippines is also still catching up with policies to support its nascent electric vehicle industry.

“EVIDA [Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act] was just recently passed,” said Gaspay. “We’re just starting to lay down the foundations of an EV market.”

The use of electric vehicles isn’t completely clean as long as the country’s power is still primarily generated from coal. As of 2022, coal makes up 42% of the Philippines’ energy mix.

Cost-benefit analysis

But even with these challenges, it still makes economic sense to adopt electric jeepneys in the country.

A study submitted to the Department of Trade and Industry in 2019 conducted a cost-benefit analysis of the transition to electric jeeps in a period of 10 years.

Authored by energy economist Majah Leah Ravago and researchers Renzi Frias and J. Kathleen Magadia, the study explored different scenarios on adopting electric jeeps.

It looked into the use of electric jeeps in the context of the current coal-dominated energy mix, and in the foreseeable future of improved technology and batteries, as well as transitioning to renewable energy and solar-powered charging stations.

The cost-benefit analysis took into account fuel and power, operations and maintenance, carbon and health costs, charging station cost, government subsidy, among others.

In all scenarios, the study found that benefits trump the costs. “[W]hile the upfront costs of e-jeepneys are high, the socio-economic benefits of replacing conventional jeepneys with e-jeepneys outweigh the costs,” the study read.

As lithium batteries become cheaper, prices of electric jeepneys decrease. Combined with the transition to cleaner energy, electric jeeps would significantly decrease health risks to the public and reduce carbon emissions.

Must Read

Electric public transport can make cities livable, humane

Beyond tech: System change

Modernization should go beyond changing vehicles, said Gaspay. The program should be systemwide to make transport cleaner but also more efficient and comfortable for the riding public.

“I don’t think we’re ready, if you consult energy experts,” Gaspay said on the question of whether all PUV fleets can be electrified anytime soon.

“There are still a lot of things to fix. What’s important to understand is that solutions should be systemwide.” 

Gaspay said the modernization program should transform routes and modes of transport based on volume and frequency of passengers. Making systemic changes should also include how fares are collected and where stops are located.

Even the PUV consolidation can help with fleet management, as joint operations would help operators and drivers enjoy economies of scale.

Gaspay used the example of having one mechanic for the whole fleet which allows for frequent and cheaper maintenance compared to that of a single-unit operator. 

Local government units must also play an active role in monitoring competition among modes of transport and giving the support they need. (READ: Why some transport groups support jeepney modernization)

Gaspay also noted that the transition to modern utility vehicles also means helping operators get rid of old units. The Philippine government is currently providing equity subsidies for operators who will modernize, but jeepney drivers and operators say the subsidies are too small. – Rappler.com

Quotes were translated to English for brevity.

The report by The Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights, commonly known by its French acronym LICADHO, was based on visits to 21 brick factories in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh and neighboring Kandal province between April and September, as well as interviews with current and former workers.

It found pre-consumer garment waste including fabric, plastic, rubber, and other materials from the brands was being burned at seven factories. The factories were burning garment waste to save on fuel costs, it said.

“Several workers reported that burning garment waste caused them headaches and respiratory problems; another worker reported that it made her feel especially unwell during her pregnancies,” the report said.

Several brands, including Primark and Lidl, said they were investigating the matter.

Burning garment waste can release substances toxic to humans if combustion conditions aren’t carefully managed, and the ashes can also contain high levels of pollutants, according to an internal 2020 study by the UN Development Program which measured emissions from garment factory incinerators in Cambodia that burn garment waste, and which was seen by Reuters.

The report said these toxic substances include dioxins, which can cause cancer. The UNDP declined to comment on the report.

A separate report from 2018 by UK academics at Royal Holloway, University of London, said clothing scraps often contain toxic chemicals including chlorine bleach, formaldehyde, and ammonia, as well as heavy metals, PVC, and resins used in the dyeing and printing processes.

Brick factory workers reported regular migraines, nosebleeds, and other illnesses, the UK report said.

The brands named in the LICADHO report are: Adidas, C&A, LPP’s Cropp and Sinsay, Disney, Gap, Old Navy, Athleta, Karbon, Kiabi, Lululemon Athletica, Lidl Stiftung & Co’s Lupilu, Walmart’s No Boundaries, Primark, Reebok, Sweaty Betty, Tilley Endurables, Under Armour, and Venus Fashion.

Adidas, which sources from 16 factories in Cambodia, said it has initiated an investigation to see if waste is being diverted from the authorized disposal routes to the brick kilns.

Adidas environmental policies in Cambodia state that all waste materials from apparel suppliers must be disposed of, either to an approved waste-to-energy plant that is fully regulated and has air quality controls, or to government-licensed recycling centers, the company said.

Lidl said it takes the conditions reported by LICADHO very seriously and that it has started investigations, but could not provide any further information.

LPP said it was unaware its textile waste was being burned in brick kilns, and has contacted its agents responsible for placing orders in Cambodia. LPP said it plans an awareness day in early 2024 for its agents and factories in Cambodia with a particular focus on waste management.

Primark, which sources from 20 factories in Cambodia, said it is investigating the issue. Sweaty Betty did not comment on the specific findings, but said it works closely with suppliers to ensure full compliance with its environmental code of conduct.

Tilley Endurables said it was “very concerned” with the findings and only works with factories that have passed audits.

Tilley said the factory that produced its items was audited by World Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP), and had committed to ensuring proper waste management based on local laws and internationally recognized standards. Tilley said it further investigated and found the factory uses a Cambodian Ministry of Environment-licensed waste removal company and does not have visibility into what happens to the waste once it is collected.

The other brands did not immediately reply to Reuters’ requests for comment. The WRAP, the Cambodian Ministry of Environment, and waste collection company Sarom Trading Co. Ltd, did not respond to requests for comment. – Rappler.com

The world produces about 400 million metric tonnes of plastic waste annually and less than 10% of it is recycled, according to the UN Environment Programme.

At least 14 million metric tonnes ends up in the ocean every year, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says, while more piles up in landfills.

International delegates meeting in the Kenyan capital Nairobi for the third round of talks will consider a list of possible measures to include in the treaty.

“I urge all the negotiators to recall that 2024 is only six weeks away and (there) are only two other meetings to go,” Ruto said at the opening of the talks.

Governments agreed in March 2022 to put together a treaty on controlling plastic pollution by the end of next year.

In Nairobi, delegates will be haggling over whether to stick to their broad mandate of addressing the entire life cycle of plastics, including production, or to prioritize plastic waste management.

The talks need to come up with a first draft agreement, outlining commitments to reducing the plastic menace, and a financing scheme for its implementation, said Carroll Muffett, president of the Centre for International Environmental Law.

“We need to navigate extraordinary risks over the week ahead,” he said, citing attempts to derail and delay the talks by some members states in previous rounds.

Kenya is among those who want a strong, binding agreement on the manufacture and use of plastics, having enacted several laws banning certain uses of plastics, such as for shopping bags, since 2017.

“We must change the way we consume, the way we produce and how we dispose our waste,” Ruto said. “Change is inevitable. This instrument that we are working on, is the first domino in that change. Let us bring it home.”

The plastics industry and oil and petrochemical exporters like Saudi Arabia do not want plastic use curtailed, arguing that the global deal should promote improved the recycling and reuse of plastic.

“The vast majority of countries are eager to advance the negotiations to get the job done,” said Pamela Miller, co-chair of the International Pollutants Elimination Network, a global public interest organization.

“On the other hand a small group of like-minded countries of mainly major fossil fuel, petrochemical and plastic exporters like Saudi Arabia and Russia are actively attempting to take us backwards.”

Saudi and Russian delegates were not immediately available to comment. – Rappler.com

New Delhi again topped a real-time list of the world’s most polluted cities compiled by Swiss group IQAir, which put the Indian capital’s AQI at 640 in the “hazardous” category on Friday, followed by 335 in the Pakistani city of Lahore.

Regional officials said a seasonal combination of lower temperatures, a lack of wind and crop stubble burning in neighboring farm states had caused a spike in air pollutants. (READ: New Delhi vows, as it does each year, to clean its filthy air)

Many of New Delhi’s 20 million residents complained of irritation in the eyes and itchy throats with the air turning a dense grey as the AQI hovered around 480 in some monitoring stations.

An AQI of 0-50 is considered good while anything between 400-500 affects healthy people and is a danger to those with existing diseases.

“In my last 24 hours duty, I saw babies coughing, children coming with distress and rapid breathing,” Aheed Khan, a Delhi-based doctor, said on social media platform X.

There were fewer people in the city’s parks such as Lodhi Garden and India Gate, popular with joggers.

Residents snapped up air purifiers. One service center for the appliances said there was a shortage of new filters and fresh stocks were expected on Monday, November 6.

Officials said they saw no immediate improvement in the air quality.

“This pollution level is here to stay for the next two to three weeks, aggravated by incidents of stubble burning, slow wind speed and cooling temperatures,” said Ashwani Kumar, chairman of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee.

Farmers in the northern states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh typically burn crop waste after harvesting in October to clear their fields before sowing winter crops a few weeks later.

This year, attention on the worsening air quality has cast a shadow over the cricket World Cup hosted by India, with financial capital Mumbai also suffering from a spike in pollution levels.

Delhi hosts a World Cup match on Monday between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

A concentration of toxic PM2.5 particles, which are less than 2.5 microns in diameter and can cause deadly illness, was 53.4 times the World Health Organization’s annual air quality guideline value in New Delhi on Friday, according to IQAir.

While junior schools in the capital were ordered shut for Friday and Saturday, November 4, they were open in the suburbs and children boarding school buses were forced to wear masks that had been put away since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Poor air quality also caused respiratory problems, irritation in the eyes and restlessness in pet animals.

“Breathing trouble can develop into pneumonia or other ailments in younger animals. If possible, avoid taking pets out on morning walks for a few days till the air improves,” said Prabhat Gangwar, a veterinarian at animal welfare NGO Friendicoes. – Rappler.com

David Atkinson, a resident and among the complainants, told Rappler on Friday, October 20, that the noise from the mall has severely affected the health of tenants, most especially children who were losing sleep at night due to the noise from by the cooling towers.

“We’re running at 67 decibels (dB) right now…. It’s like a loud vacuum cleaner and this is all the f*** time,” Atkinson said.

The complainant and 47 other condominium residents signed a petition in June asking the mall’s management to resolve the problem. The residents also reached out to different government agencies, including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

On June 27, Atkinson filed a complaint with the DENR on the excessive noise coming from Ayala Center Cebu’s 5 cooling towers. On July 3, DENR sent an investigation team to verify reports of noise pollution near the Park Point Residences. 

The condominium is a project developed by Ayala Land Premier and is located adjacent to Ayala Center Cebu. Rappler went to the location of the condominium and found that the cooling towers were a walkable distance from Atkinson’s condo unit.

The DENR investigation team took sound samples from four locations in Atkinson’s unit on the 16th floor and another location which is owned by another complainant on the 6th floor.

Based on the investigation report, the four locations in Atkinson’s unit registered an arithmetic median of 66 dB, 67.4 dB, 64.2 dB, and 62.5 dB. The location owned by another complainant on the 6th floor registered an arithmetic median of 66.7 dB.

“Two out of 4 sampling stations within the premise of Mr. Atkinson and the noise within the premise of the 2nd complainant exceeds the allowable noise levels in a commercial area,” the report read.

Under Chapter 4 of Presidential Decree No. 984 or the Pollution Control Law of the Philippines, the allowable noise level in a commercial area during daytime (9 am to 6 pm) is 65 dB while at nighttime (10 pm to 5 am) is strictly 55 dB.

On July 6, the DENR endorsed the issue to the office of Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama in accordance with Section 8.9, Chapter 19 of Presidential Decree No. 856 or the Sanitation Code of the Philippines.

In August, Atkinson, together with the president of the Park Point Homeowners Association, Nelson Yavallo, met with Rama. The two complainants said Rama promised to find a solution to the problem.

In the July letter sent from DENR to Rama, Engineer Clifford Manlegro, Ayala Center Cebu’s chief engineer, said that the mall’s top management is “already acting on the noise complaint.”

After four months from their first attempt in June, Atkinson said, no clear communication has been made by the mall’s management and the local government to the concerned residents on the steps taken to resolve the noise pollution.

A danger to health

Atkinson said that one of his primary concerns was the health of his two-year-old son who could not sleep properly at night because of the noise coming from the cooling towers.

The complainant added that he also could not just close his unit’s windows to block out the sound, citing a report from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which states that indoor air pollution levels in homes, workplaces, and school classrooms can be two to five times higher than outdoor pollution levels.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends less than 40 dB of annual noise average outside of bedrooms to prevent adverse health effects from noise at night.

“This is outrageous. If we were in the United States, [Ayala] would have been hit with fines by now,” Atkinson said.

What does the law say?

Environmental lawyer Liza Osorio told Rappler on Friday that noise pollution, upon exceeding community standards, violates the people’s right to a safe, balanced, and healthy environment.

“This is enshrined in our environmental statutes and regulations. Aside from these, other laws such as the Civil Code prohibits nuisance which is applicable in this case,” Osorio said.

Article 695 of the Civil Code describes “public nuisance” as anything that affects a community or neighborhood, although the extent of the annoyance, danger, or damage upon individuals may be unequal.

Historically, Memorandum Circular No. 2, Series of 1980, of the National Pollution Control Commission (NPCC) served as the basis for noise standards in the Philippines.

For areas used for residential purposes, the maximum allowable noise (dB) is set at 55 in the daytime (9 am to 6 pm) and 45 at nighttime (10 pm to 5 am).

Based on Article 699 of the Civil Code, the public can avail: (1) a prosecution under the Revised Penal Code or any local ordinance, (2) a civil action, or (3) an abatement, without judicial proceedings—if the local building official determines that this is the best remedy under the circumstances.

Cebu City Ordinance No. 309 or the Amended Anti-Noise Ordinance of Cebu City prohibits the use of machines that produce loud noises exceeding 40 dB from 9 pm to 1 am.

Violators can be fined not more than P5,000 or be imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.

Ayala Center Cebu responds

In an email sent to Rappler on Saturday, October 21, Ayala Center Cebu management confirmed their receipt of the noise complaint. 

“To address this concern, we took immediate action and engaged an Independent Acoustic Consultant Expert to thoroughly evaluate and assess all aspects of the cooling towers’ operations,” Ayala Center Cebu said.

“After a comprehensive assessment, the consultant’s report conclusively stated that the mall’s cooling towers are operating well within the permissible noise limits set by regulatory authorities,” it added.

The mall’s management noted that their cooling towers had valid permits to operate and were issued by the Office of the Building Official OBO of Cebu City. 

“In line with our commitment to transparency and compliance, representatives from the OBO, CENRO, and City Health have conducted thorough on-site inspections and found no issues related to the allowable noise level. Ayala Malls remains committed to complying with all regulatory requirements in its operations,” Ayala Center Cebu said. – Rappler.com

The letter comes just weeks after countries in Southeast Asia committed to a haze-free region by 2030.

What’s going on?

In recent weeks air quality in parts of Malaysia and Indonesia has spiked into the red, with indexes consistently showing readings above 150 – putting it in a bracket where people can experience health effects, and those with sensitive conditions could suffer more serious problems.

On the Indonesian side of Borneo island visibility was reduced to less than 10 meters, while schools have been shut in both Indonesia and Malaysia to minimize the health impact on young children.

Malaysia has blamed the haze on Indonesia, saying that smoke from forest fires drifts over the border.

Every few years, during the dry season, smoke from “slash and burn” land clearing, largely to make way for oil palm, pulp and paper plantations, engulfs much of the region, posing a threat to public health, education and businesses such as tourism.

How is the problem being addressed?

Despite pleas by Malaysia this week not to “normalize” the haze, Indonesia has flatly denied any responsibility.

Indonesia’s environment minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar said on Friday, October 6, that forest fires had declined and no haze was detected moving toward any neighboring country.

Indonesia has been addressing the fires by water bombing via helicopters, she said.

Indonesia has in the past taken legal action against companies suspected of illegal burning, but each year fires continue with varying degrees of severity.

In 2015 and 2019 Indonesia was struck by catastrophic blazes that burned millions of hectares of land, causing record-breaking emissions and engulfing some places in toxic yellow smoke.

Why does this keep happening?

Under Indonesia law burning by small-scale local farmers is permitted provided it occurs on a maximum area of two hectares and necessary prevention measures are in place.

All large-scale planters are obligated to comply with sustainable palm oil standards, which prohibit burning.

The regulations mean that slash and burn techniques continue to be used by small-holder farmers who rely on the cheap land clearance method and for whom compliance to the standards is voluntary.

Opaque supply chains, overlapping land claims and these regulatory loopholes mean that large companies, which are in some cases owned by firms based in countries such as Malaysia and Singapore, can sometimes avoid responsibility for illegal land clearance.

How is the region responding?

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations recently launched a coordinating center for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control (ACC THPC).

Intended to help members prevent, mitigate and monitor transboundary haze, the center is in line with ASEAN’s commitment to achieve a haze-free region by 2030.

This week ASEAN agriculture and forestry ministers also agreed to take collective action to minimize and eventually eliminate crop burning.

Is climate change making it worse?

Indonesia is home to the world’s third largest rainforest area and the government needs to take more action, environmentalists say. The country is experiencing exacerbated dry conditions due to the El Nino weather pattern this year.

Greenpeace Indonesia says climate warming is increasing the intensity and frequency of forest and land fires, which are in turn fuelling the climate crisis.

Why palm oil?

Global consumption of palm oil, used in a wide range of products such as cookies, candles and as a cooking oil, is growing rapidly.

Palm oil is the world’s most used edible oil, accounting for 60% of global vegetable oil exports.

For Indonesia, the world’s biggest palm oil producer, the product is one of the biggest export earners after coal. Export earnings from palm oil and its derivatives stood at $39.28 billion in 2022, according to the Indonesian Palm Oil Association. – Rappler.com

Environmental and sustainable transport groups articulated these sentiments days after.

“It is a supreme irony that on September 22, World Car-Free Day, Metro Manila and nearby provinces were shrouded in smog caused mainly by vehicle emissions,” said 39 organizations of cyclists, climate activists, youths, persons with disabilities, and commuters in a statement on Tuesday, September 26.

The joint statement was signed by groups like the Move As One Coalition, National Confederation of Transport Workers Union, Motorists for Sustainable Transport, Bicycle Friendly Philippines, Esteban Cycling Community, Youth for Better Baseco, Kasali Tayo, and the National Federation of Labor, among others.

“The sad reality in terms of environmental awareness is that people don’t act unless they see it,” Greenpeace campaigner Rhea Jane Pescador-Mallari told Rappler on Tuesday.

“With air pollution, we normally become cautious when we see this smog, but air pollutants are at high levels even without the smog,” she added.

While the September 21 and 22 smog made a bigger splash because it coincided with the Taal Volcano vog in Luzon provinces, an earlier smog incident in Makati had also made the rounds on social media. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) later on confirmed the smog incident observed from September 7 to 9.

Ironically, September 7 was the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies – a day designated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote international cooperation on improving air quality.

The DENR has long cited data that 80% of dirty air in Metro Manila comes from vehicles, while the remaining 20% is due to emissions from factories, construction sites, and garbage burning.

For groups alarmed about the September smog, the headline-making phenomenon highlighted the urgent need for government action to reduce the use of cars and promote less polluting forms of mobility.

Their main calls:

• Ensure the 2024 government budget, currently being debated in the House of Representatives and Senate, gives enough support for clean transport and protecting air quality
• Ensure sufficient funds for programs in regulating vehicular emissions
• Promote mass transportation as opposed to private vehicle use
• Encourage sustainable mobility options like biking and walking

“As the national budget undergoes scrutiny, we the undersigned call on Congress, the DOTr, DPWH, DENR, and MMDA to pass and support a people-centric 2024 national budget so that the 94% of Filipinos who do not own four-wheeled motor vehicles enjoy their right to breathe clean air, as stated in Republic Act 8749 (the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999),” said the groups.

They flagged problems in the proposed 2024 national budget, like the following:

• A tighter budget of P500 million for the Department of Transportation to build bike and pedestrian infrastructure – down from P2 billion in 2022 and P750 million in 2023
• Non-existence of a budget for the jeepney modernization program, a key effort of the government to lessen polluting emissions from traditional jeepneys while ensuring jeepney drivers don’t lose income
• The failure of the proposed budget to reflect the declaration in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 that “pedestrians and cyclists will be accorded highest priority in the hierarchy of road users”
• The failure of the proposed budget to address the needs of the majority of Filipinos who won’t benefit from car-centric policies. Citing a Social Weather Stations survey, they pointed out that 94% of Filipinos do not own cars; more Filipino households, one out of three, own bicycles; and 87% believe the government should prioritize bicycle use, public transportation, and pedestrians over private car users

Smog can spur action

Smog has been an unfortunate but distinct feature of many rapidly growing cities around the world. In the most famous smog incidents in history, thermal inversion also played a role. This was the case for the “Great Smog” in London in 1952, which was estimated to have killed 12,000 people. There is the 1966 smog in New York City, said to have killed around 160 people. More recently, the Beijing smog in 2013 was also caused by thermal inversion, a phenomenon common in the Chinese capital because of its geography.

Thermal inversion is when a layer of hot air traps cooler air closer to the ground. The phenomenon has led to air pollution incidents because pollutants get trapped with the cooler air and get more and more concentrated the longer the thermal inversion lasts.

The less pollutant particles spewed in the air by vehicles, industrial facilities, and construction activities, the less likely thermal inversion would lead to smog.

All three crises spurred government action and public awareness about the dangers of air pollution – whether from burning huge quantities of coal to stay warm (London) or uncontrolled industrial and vehicular emissions (Beijing).

Beijing, for instance, came up with a five-year plan that same year that included incentives for residents to buy electric cars instead of fossil fuel cars, diverting trucks away from heavily populated areas, investing in more green spaces and parks, regulating the use of coal-fired boilers in houses, and encouraging bicycle use.

Will the much smaller smog incidents in Metro Manila catalyze enough public and private sector response to avert an even bigger disaster?

Gaps in air quality monitoring

But there’s another possible budget gap related to air pollution.

If you ask the DENR, funds are sorely lacking even for the basic program of monitoring air quality in Metro Manila.

As the smog covered parts of the megacity, the DENR could not even provide the public with a full picture of the phenomenon because a majority of its air quality monitoring stations were offline.

Based on the Real-time Ambient Air Quality Monitoring website of the DENR for Metro Manila, 10 out of 17 air quality monitoring stations were described as “offline” or non-existent (“no station”) for detecting microscopic pollutants less than 10 µm in diameter (Particulate Matter 10 or PM10).

The situation was worse for detecting smaller and thus more dangerous pollutants, those less than 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5). Thirteen out of 17 monitoring stations were also either offline or labeled as “no station.”

These labels meant the stations were unable to transmit air quality information to the DENR’s system for the city where the monitoring station is located. There is supposed to be a monitoring station for each of the 16 cities and one town in Metro Manila.

This information would have been crucial for Metro Manila residents during the days of smog.

The DENR admitted the state of their air quality monitoring stations last Saturday, September 23, a day after the most recent smog incident.

“The station models get outdated very fast. The others need maintenance, some of its parts no longer work, those parts are hard to replace. There are many factors,” said Undersecretary Juan Miguel Cuna in a DZRH interview.

Some local governments, like Quezon City and Las Piñas, have their own ways of measuring air quality, even using multiple sources to get a more comprehensive picture. But the DENR’s website would have put all Metro Manila’s cities and town in one spot, allowing ordinary citizens to check on air pollution whenever they want and compare their area with other areas.

The DENR’s air quality monitoring system is run by its Environmental Management Bureau (EMB).

EMB Director Gilbert Gonzales told ABS-CBN’s Raphael Bosano that they have been requesting for more funds for the system for the past “5 to 6 years” but are never given enough.

“Unfortunately, we are not given sufficient budget, so we are just maintaining what we have. But of course, over time, they don’t function efficiently, so we just describe it as ‘offline,'” he said on Monday, September 25.

He estimated that setting up a new air quality monitoring station would cost P10 million to P15 million each. Calibrating – or ensuring a monitoring station can accurately measure air quality – and maintenance would cost P400,000 to P500,000 each.

The EMB got P1.2 billion this year for its “Environmental Regulations and Pollution Control Program,” in the General Appropriations Act or the national budget for 2023.

Under this, the NCR Regional Office got P20.4 million. Some P357.5 million went to the “implementation of clean air regulations.”

On top of that, it was given a P35-million Air Quality Management Fund, a fund it gets every year from fines and damages awarded to the government by the Pollution Adjudication Board, proceeds of licenses and permits issued, emission fees, and donations. 

The EMB’s real-time Metro Manila air quality monitoring portal was launched in 2015 and was supposed to make hourly updates on air quality accessible to the public. 

Back then, the stations each cost P3 million and were able to measure pollution within two kilometers of their locations. The website allowed journalists, for example, to write about air pollution on New Year’s Day to measure the impact of the fireworks displays the night before.

But in 2016, the procurement of more air quality monitoring stations was halted after groups filed a complaint against the late former environment secretary Gina Lopez over the allegedly “defective” air monitoring machines.

The Air Board Company, one of those who filed the complaint, claimed the DENR ignored findings that the machines were outdated, difficult to calibrate properly, and produced inaccurate data.

Lopez had said she launched an investigation and suspended procurement of more machines “until [the DENR is] sure the technology is accurate and appropriate.”

Learning from the pandemic

Whether it’s a budget shortage or the wrong use of funds, there is a gap in monitoring air quality in Metro Manila, one of the most congested urban areas in the world.

“The lack of air quality monitoring sensors working in the metropolis and the inadequate real-time reporting of the results to the public make people complacent about the issue,” said Greenpeace’s Mallari.

But the benefits of a less car-centric society were already made apparent to the megacity’s residents not so long ago. Mallari hearkened back to the COVID-19 lockdown, when cleaner air was among the silver lining brought about by limitations on movement and activities.

“We should refer to these lessons of the pandemic and move forward to a better normal with better air quality for all,” she said. – Rappler.com

But it turns out that the capital region was only seeing smog, unrelated to the volcano, on Friday.

What’s really happening?

Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said in an interview on state-run PTV that a natural phenomenon called thermal inversion is occurring.

“‘Yung hangin, habang tumataas ang altitude papunta sa kalawakan, ay mas malamig. Pero ‘yung malamig na hangin na iyon ay nasa ibabaw lamang, kaya ‘yung mga smoke at fog…imbis na umangat at ma-disperse ay hindi umaangat dahil nga natutulak ng malamig na hangin pababa. Kaya mapapansin natin, buong Kamaynilaan at karatig na probinsiya ay makulimlim…. ‘Yun po ay smog, smoke and fog,” Solidum explained.

(As air rises into the atmosphere and its altitude increases, it gets colder. But this cold air ends up pushing smoke and fog downwards, so the smoke and fog are unable to rise or be dispersed. So, if you notice, the entire Metro Manila and nearby provinces have overcast skies. That’s smog, smoke and fog.)

“At mapapansin ‘nyo, hindi mahangin…kaya hindi napapadpad o nadi-disperse ang ating mga smog,” added Solidum.

(And if you notice, it isn’t windy, that’s why smog isn’t easily getting dispersed.)

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) also explained in a Facebook post that “thermal inversion occurs when layers of the atmosphere don’t mix,” which causes aerosols or very small particles to get trapped.

Why is there smoke in Metro Manila?

Solidum said the smoke in Metro Manila is due to vehicle exhaust emissions. The smoke mixes with fog, causing smog.

In contrast, high sulfur dioxide emissions are causing the vog in the Taal Volcano area in Batangas province.

Until when will Metro Manila have smog?

Smog is not rare, especially in the congested metropolis.

“’Yung smog kasi ‘pag umaga, nandiyan ‘yan…habang may thermal inversion, hindi masyadong nadi-disperse ‘yan. Kung lumakas ang hangin at nawala ‘yung thermal inversion…madi-disperse na siya nang tuluyan,” Solidum said. 

(Smog is typically present in the morning…and while thermal inversion is happening, it won’t be dispersed. If winds become stronger and we no longer have thermal inversion, the smog will eventually get dispersed.)

PAGASA also said thermal inversion usually “disappears later in the day as heat from the sun allows the mixing of the air, allowing the aerosols to disperse.”

But if skies remain cloudy, this “may reduce surface heating,” and haze would persist.

If Metro Manila doesn’t have vog, is it safe?

Not necessarily. Smog can still affect people’s health.

“Kapag heavy ang pollution tulad nito…dapat nagma-mask po tayo kapag lumalabas para hindi natin malanghap nang tuluyan ang mga pollutants,” Solidum said.

(When pollution is heavy, such as today, we should wear face masks when going out so we won’t inhale pollutants.)

The science and technology secretary added that it is best to stay indoors, with windows and doors closed. – Rappler.com

Environmental groups in the Philippines have long advocated for a single-use plastics ban, and hundreds of proposed laws and resolutions were filed in Congress in the past decade to support the call. Nothing prospered. 

Instead, Congress required the country’s biggest plastic-producing companies to pay to collect and recycle their materials. 

The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022 mandates companies with more than P100 million assets to develop a scheme to recover the same amount of plastics they produce or face a fine of at least P5 million.

It’s been a year since the law took effect, but the implementation remains short. The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) learned the companies continue to exhibit a “wait-and-see” attitude on how the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will implement the measure, casting doubt on the country’s ability to tackle its growing plastic waste problem. 

Unclear guidelines are leading companies to have a cautionary approach to the law, according to the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), tapped by 29 corporations to capture their plastic packaging wastes from the environment under the EPR law.

“The main challenge right now is that the guidelines for implementation are still in flux,” Elvin Yu, PBSP executive director, told the PCIJ.

“It’s still unclear what the guidelines are for the compliance audit of obliged enterprises, for example, and we are seven months into the year. That’s going to be a problem,” he added.

The National Ecology Center under the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) has yet to issue a compliance auditing manual for these enterprises, he said. The Department of Finance, specifically the Bureau of Internal Revenue, is also silent on the tax incentives for the enterprises. 

“So many companies are in a wait-and-see [mode]. They want to know how the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) would really implement the law,” Yu added.

Crispin Lao, executive director of the Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS), observed that some companies remained confused about the kind of EPR programs to adopt and the kind of benefits to avail of.

“There are some companies, which may not have sustainability as a priority, that are still in denial that they are mandated to do this [EPR],” Lao added. 

“Kita naman na nangangapa pa sila (It’s clear they’re groping in the dark),” Lao said, when asked on how the EMB has handled the EPR implementation so far. “It would have been better if there were more discussions, more talks with the private sector so they could be prepared.”

If the government was clear on the tax incentives, “it could have been one way to encourage registration and compliance of obliged enterprises,” said Ferth Vandensteen Manaysay, deputy manager at the Climate Reality Project Philippines. 

PCIJ reached out to the DENR and the EMB but has yet to receive a response. 

Low registration among companies

In a forum with business leaders two months ago, Environment Secretary Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga pleaded with the enterprises to register their EPR plastic recovery program with the government given the relatively low number of registrants.

“We need your help [so more would be] registering in the EPR. This is extremely important for us to bring down the amount of solid waste that is released into our environment,” she said then.

As of July, only 662 of around 4,000 enterprises registered with the Department of Trade and Industry had submitted to the National Solid Waste Management Commission their programs for the proper management of their plastic wastes.

Under the EPR law, a company must recover 20% of its plastic wastes by year-end of 2023, a target that increases by 20% a year until it reaches 80% by the end of 2028. 

The company is required to register its EPR program with the DENR for proper audit. It may undertake its own EPR program or tap another party called the producer responsibility organization, such as PBSP and PARMS, to do this. 

Enterprises face minimum fines of P5 million on first offense and P10 million on second offense, and suspension of business permit on third offense.

The industry’s slow compliance has prompted the DENR to implement the EPR law in mostly urban areas, such as Metro Manila in Luzon, Cebu in Visayas, and Davao in Mindanao in 2023. These areas, after all, would have the most available facilities for waste processing. 

Gaps in the law

For environmental groups, the industry’s lukewarm reception reveals gaps in the new law.

“We initially wanted higher fines, for example, because P5 million could easily be the annual salary of the top executives [of these companies],” said Coleen Salamat of the EcoWaste Coalition.

A longer consultation with stakeholders could have led to a stronger, more effective policy, she said.

The law is problematic because companies may still continue producing plastic waste and not have clear commitments on plastic reduction, said Miko Aliño of Break Free From Plastic.

“Under this law, as long as you are collecting waste, whatever you do, whether you burn it in cement kilns, or recycle, you are compliant…. The law allows them (corporations) to operate business as usual,” Aliño said.

“It’s what my colleague Von [Hernandez] would say as a ‘polluter-friendly’ policy.”

Salamat said she and her colleagues were “shocked” by the speed of the deliberations. It was “quick” in comparison with other environmental laws, he said. (See timeline here.)

“Meanwhile, the single-use plastics ban bill had not made progress, when it was vocally supported by former president [Rodrigo] Duterte,” Salamat said right after Congress passed the EPR law.

PARMS, which counts some of the biggest fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) companies as members, was one of the industry groups that lobbied for the passage of the EPR law. Its members include Coca-Cola Philippines, Monde Nissin, Universal Robina, P&G, and Unilever.

“Before, the conversation was geared towards the banning of single-use plastic applications, but Congress could not provide an alternative [to the material],” Lao said. “So yes, the industry is supportive of the EPR.”

The measure was first introduced in the Senate in February 2020, right before the pandemic, by Senator Cynthia Villar. According to a Reuters report, Unilever had directly lobbied Senator Villar to push for its passage.

A year later, the senator’s daughter, Las Piñas Representative Camille Villar, also introduced the EPR bill in the House of Representatives. Congress deliberated the measure as the COVID-19 pandemic raged and saw its passage within 15 months, from the first time a Senate joint committee first conducted a hearing on the measure. 

Duterte was supportive of the ban on single-use plastics, according to his spokesperson Salvador Panelo. While presidents have the power to veto bills, Duterte sat on the measure. He left his post without approving or rejecting the proposed EPR law.

Marcos succeeded Duterte. In his inaugural speech, he vowed to “clean up” the country’s plastic waste problem. “We are the third biggest plastic polluter in the world, but we won’t shirk from that responsibility. We will clean up,” he said. 

Marcos could have vetoed the EPR law, too, but he didn’t exercise this power. He also sat on the measure until it lapsed into law in July 2022, during his first month in Malacañang.

A year into his presidency, during his second State of the Nation Address last July 24, Marcos asked Congress to pass a law imposing excise taxes on single-use plastics. 

Environmentalists are afraid it may still not be enough. – PCIJ/Rappler.com

NEXT: Part 2 | Philippine towns, cities are paying high cost of waste management.
Plastic producers should help.