Clean air info campaign on

The DENR through the Environmental Manage-ment Bureau’s Metro Manila Air Quality Improvement Sector Development Prog-ram is currently intensi-fying its Clean Air Information Campaign through a series of activities by the Central Office and Region 4.

The intensified campaign is necessitated by the lack of awareness of Metro Manila residents on the effects of air pollution as reflected in the results of the "Knowledge, Attitude and Practices On Clean Air" survey conducted by the Philippine Information Agency. The DENR is apprehensive that such lack of awareness will further expose the urban residents to health hazards brought by air pollution.

In pursuit of this endeavor, the DENR-Region IV in coordination with MMAQISDP recently conducted a two-day seminar for its middle managers, information officers, and personnel who are directly involved in Information, Education, and Communication Campaign (IEC) of the region’s programs and projects. Similar seminars will be conducted sometime in August in Cavite and Laguna. It also launched a radio program entitled DENR Clean Air for Longer Life or DENR CALL. This is aired every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 12 noon at DWTI 971 KHZ AM band, Lucena City and hosted by Ms. Richelda Calatrava, DENR PENRO Information Officer.

The Human Resource Management Service-Central Office and the MMAQISDP on the other hand will conduct a 3-day seminar on Effective Campaign Management on Clean Air on August 14-16, 2002. All Regional Public Affairs Officers in the DENR nationwide will participate in this activity. Further, they will also train the Central Office drivers on proper care and maintenance of vehicles in order to prevent pollution from vehicular emission. Monthly orientation on clean air for its employees is also included in its plan of activities.