JAYNARD D.

PERIO

BSMT III-AQUARIUS

ACT. 5 WEEK 5

Philippines tackles Air pollution

After six years of governmental wrangling and a massive nationwide campaign to gather signatures, the
Philippines—home to one of the world’s most polluted cities—is on the verge of passing clean air
legislation.The population of Manila has grown faster than that in any other city since 1970 and now
stands at at least 12 million, with 12600 people to each square kilometre. Thousands live in the shadow of
power stations or industrial plants. Smog constantly blankets the city, 2.2 million motor vehicles form
traffic jams, and pedestrians keep handkerchiefs clamped over their mouths and noses.According to the
World Health Organisation (WHO), levels of lead in the air in Manila are more than three times the
established safety limit, and concentrations of suspended particulate matter are also dangerously high.
Other pollutants have not been measured.The priority legislation could be passed within as little as two
months and would phase out the use of leaded fuel within 18 months, reduce industrial emissions,
promote recycling, phase out vehicles over 15 years old, ban incineration, and drastically increase fines
for the owners of polluting vehicles.Dr Steve Tamplin, WHO regional adviser on environmental health,
said: “The crucial question is whether this legislation will be effectively enforced.” At an average speed
of just 7 km/hour, rush hour traffic in Manila moves more slowly than anywhere else in Asia. Dr Tamplin
said that investing more in overhead light rail systems, which currently cover a single 30 km stretch,
would be the best way of reducing traffic congestion, the biggest source of pollution.Dr Miguel Celdran, a
paediatrician at Makati Medical Center, said: “About 90%of my patients have respiratory illness, and
we’re seeing babies as young as two months suffering from asthma. Twenty years ago, this was unheard
of.”A recent survey by the Philippine Paediatric Society, which asked doctors to describe the most
common illnesses that they treat, received the same response in every case: diseases of the upper
respiratory tract.Urine samples from taken from children living and begging on the polluted streets
showed that at least 7%had high lead concentrations.Dr Celdran said that his mainly middle class clients
kept their children indoors, using air ionisers and filtered air conditioners to improve air quality, but that
this resulted in other problems due to a lack of exercise.The United Nations estimates that by the year
2000 around half of the world’s population will be living in urban areas, and the global fleet of motor
vehicles is already thought to be more than 800 million.A WHO report, Urban Air Pollution in Megacities
of the World, warns that: “Megacities could well see increases in their air pollution concentrations of
levels as high as 75-100%over the next decade.

For me they taking measure to prevent, reduce and control the pollution by taking a check if the ship has a
not good condition to build a air pollution. They can make a survey the power stations or industrial plants.
The Manila are more than three times to established safety limit, and concentrations of suspended
particulate matter are also dangerously high. Also they monitoring the factory to prevent and to reduce the
air pollution that can affect the marine environment.