An imperiled Clean Air Act

A decade after the passage of the Clean Air Act, the fight to improve the quality of air for Filipinos has little progressed.

Back in 1999, I remember still being with the oil industry when lead and sulphur content in petroleum products became the burning issue of environment advocates. While these inarguably contributed to the high particulate content in ambient urban air, oil firms had always maintained that there were other – and equally dangerous – components that contributed to air pollution.

Under the CAA, the total ban on lead was enforced in 2003 — as well as the reduction in aromatics and benzene contents of fuels from 55 percent to 35 percent, from five percent to two percent in terms of volume. This was seen as a major milestone in the implementation of the law.

After this, however, things came to a sort of slide. The argument is that the quality of air in Metro Manila, being the key measurement of nationwide air pollution, is improving. But is definitely not anywhere nearer what is ideally regarded as clean air.

Today, Metro Manila continues to experience concentrations of particulate matter that routinely exceed acceptable levels. Carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide levels have also been monitored to occasionally exceed standards.

Sadly, what was hailed as a landmark piece of legislation to protect the environment seems to have lost its fighting fizz. Implementing the law, apparently, is more than just calling for a ban on lead or on mass incineration. Yes, if there is any one reason why the law is not doing what it was meant to do, blame it on the lack of enforcement.

Signs of disregard

Despite all the funds that have been funneled to assist our local executives in enforcing the Clean Air Act, there seemed to be little motivation for the respective government agencies to pursue their mandates. Roadside smoke emission tests, for one, are now being conducted with even less frequency.

There is talk that the once-a-year mandatory smoke emission test, a requirement for getting a permit to operate a motor vehicle, can now be bought. In fact, you don’t need to bring your car to an accredited testing center if you know who to talk to.

Whatever happened to the phase out of 2-stroke motorcycle engines? Or even to the programmed help for tricycle drivers who are still using 2-stroke engines to move to 4-stroke motorcycles?

Waste recycling, an adjunct program that should bear impact on the garbage disposal – and therefore, waste incineration – in the country’s expanding urban areas seems to be on a standstill too. Which brings to mind: how are toxic hospital wastes being disposed off?

On a larger scale, the clean air law relies on a dramatic improvement in cities’ transport management programs. This means more and wider roads to decongest existing clogged arteries, better traffic systems and rules, a more efficient transportation system that relies less on fuel. This too appears to be playing a catch-up game.

Health and climate change

When the law was being crafted, the main rallying cry had been the deteriorating health of Filipinos who were being slowly killed by pollution-related diseases such as pneumonia in children, chronic bronchitis, chronic cough, cardiopulmonary disease and lung cancer.

With only slight improvement in urban air quality since the law was enacted, it is easy to conclude that the overall health of our countrymen has not been improving from unabated exposure to polluted air. Health damages is already seen at near P10 billion a year, and increasing.

These days, health is not just the reason why more focus should be given to enforcing the law. The nagging threat of a deteriorating global climate from harmful emissions is equally important.

This adds more pressure for our lawmakers and enforcers to implement the Clean Air Act, and to a certain extent, introduce new measures that would enhance anti-pollution measures and plug loopholes in the law’s implementing rules and regulations.

Focusing on smoke emissions

If there is one basic initiative that government should now focus on, it is the campaign to totally eliminate smoke emissions, not just from mobile sources like cars, trucks and vans, but also from stationary engines like power plants and compressors.

If only the law was to be faithfully implemented and the imposition of hefty fines strictlyly observed, owners of smoke belching vehicles would be more careful about keeping their engines properly maintained, of driving correctly, of not overloading their vehicles and of using good quality oil.

The Biofuels Act, which was signed in 2007, stipulates all diesel-fed vehicles to use a minimum 1 percent biodiesel blend within three months after the law had been put to effect. Gasoline, on the other hand, should have at least a five percent ethanol blend within two years of the law’s effectivity.

Biofuels are believed to help reduce harmful vehicle emissions that cause respiratory diseases and global warming. Studies showed that even a one-percent blend of coconut methylester (CME) or coco biofuel can help vehicle engines burn fuel more efficiently, and reduce carbon emissions by up to 77 percent.

Political distractions

While the Biofuels Act is doing its share in bringing down harmful emissions in the air, the Clean Air Act seems to need more handholding. It didn’t help that we had five environment department secretaries in a period of eight years.

But this problem it seems cannot be helped since most government executives that hold the key to enforcing the 1999 law will be running for public office next year. Leniency also in enforcing regulatory measures is a time-tested means of generating campaign contributions.

Update on 2009 Philippine Collegiate Championship Games

Congratulations to the “early birds” in this year’s collegiate basketball season, the Naga Inter-collegiate Basketball Challenge and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The Naga City league opened its 5th season last June 18 with seven teams participating, namely, Ateneo de Naga Golden Knights Team A & B, University of Nueva Caceres Greyhounds, Naga College Foundation Tigers, Universidad de Sta. Isabel Vincentians, Partido State University Blue Cimarrons and CCDI Panthers.

The Naga League Champion will advance to the South Luzon-Bicol Regional Championship phase of the 2009 Philippine Collegiate Championship games.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the oldest collegiate league in the Philippines, opened its 85th season last Saturday, June 27. In his opening ceremony speech, league president Fr. Mat de Jesus, OSB of host San Beda College, stated that “NCAA is now more than just big in terms of number. The NCAA now is greater than it ever was because it has developed itself as difference-making force in developing sports, promoting sportsmanship, harnessing competitive spirit, forging strong inter-collegiate ties and realizing educational synergy.”

The top four teams of the 10-team NCAA tournament are automatically seeded to the “Sweet 16” Finals of the 2009 Philippine Collegiate Championship games. The fifth and sixth NCAA placers, on the other hand, will join the South Luzon-Bicol – Metro Manila and the VisMin-Metro Manila Zonal Qualifying games to earn seats in the “Sweet 16” Finals.

Watch this space for updates on the 2009 Philippine Collegiate Championship Games or visit www.CollegiateChampionsLeague.net.

Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at [email protected]. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.