Senator Bong Go, chair of the Committee on Health, reminded government of the need for the strict enforcement of Republic Act No. 8749, also known as the Clean Air Act.
Go, who was interviewed after his team provided aid to the residents of Tanauan City, expressed his growing concern over the rampant air pollution problem in the country.
“Mayroon na po tayong batas, ang RA 8749 o Clean Air Act, na nagbibigay ng mandato sa ating DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) to implement the standards on air quality based WHO’s (World Health Organization) standards. Air pollution is just like any other pollution, it’s a serious health concern,” the legislator said.
The lawmaker emphasized that the law may have been enacted but its implementation has remained to be a challenge.
“Mahalaga sa akin ang buhay at kalusugan ng bawat Pilipino.”
“Ang polusyon ng hangin ay katulad lamang ng iba pang polusyon, ito ay isang seryosong suliranin sa kalusugan. Ako po bilang Chairman ng Committee on Health, mahalaga sa akin ang buhay at kalusugan ng bawat Pilipino,” the senator said.
He said a range of illnesses are linked to the inhalation of dirty air, which unfortunately affects poor Filipinos who have the most exposure to pollution due to their living and economic conditions.
“Maraming sakit ang nagiging sanhi ng paghinga ng maruming hangin, tulad ng ubo, TB, pneumonia, asthma, at lung cancer.”
“Alam ninyo, maraming sakit ang nagiging sanhi ng paghinga ng maruming hangin, tulad ng ubo, TB, pneumonia, asthma, at lung cancer, lalo na sa ating mahihirap na kababayan na nakakaranas ng exposure, na natutulog sa kalye, kung saan nila nalalanghap ang maruming hangin,” Go stressed.
“Napakahalaga po na ang hangin na nalalanghap ng ating mga kababayan ay malinis… Hindi katulad ng tubig, ang tubig naman po ay madaling ma-filter, mayroon tayong bottled water, mayroon tayong water treatment,” he explained as air pollution affects the general population.
The World Air Quality Report 2022 from IQAir indicates that the air quality in the Philippines showed improvement during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, attributed to reduced emissions. However, as the restrictions were lifted, there has been a rise in the concentration of PM2.5, which are fine particles in the air.
Despite the slight improvement, the concentration of PM2.5 particles in the air in the Philippines remained three times higher than the safety threshold established by the WHO.
“Kaya’t mahalaga na maipatupad nang maayos ang batas tulad ng Clean Air Act,” Go implored.
