Metro Cebu’s air quality still “good”

CEBU, Philippines -  If you think Cebu is getting polluted because of the presence of several pollutants, think again.

According to the recent report of  the Environmental Management Bureau-7, an attached agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the air quality indices of  Metro Cebu continue to be within a range of either ‘fair’ or ‘good’.

Isabelo Montejo, DENR-7 executive director, said their assessment of the quality of air in Metro Cebu was based on the four-year comparative data on the total suspended particulate (TSP) matter. Based on their monitoring, 2013 registered 135.89 micrograms per normal cubic meter (µg/Ncm) which is nearly similar to 135.64 µg/Ncm in 2012. In 2011, the agency registered a reading of 107 µg/Ncm. 

Montejo, in a statement, said that the agency’s 24-hour guideline value is 230 µg/Ncm with air quality indices ranging from 81 to 230 µg/Ncm is considered ‘fair’.

Rechale Ybañez, EMB-7 environmental education and information coordinator, earlier said that both private and public transportation are the major sources of air pollution in Metro Cebu.

She said that 58 percent of the air pollution comes from motor vehicles, 28 percent from industries, and 14 percent came from other sources such as the burning of garbage, among others.

DENR-7 information officer Eddie Llamedo said that the region has four monitoring stations for the ambient air quality specific on the measurement of TSP and particulate matter (PM10) using manual methods once every six days and a minimum of 48 sampling days in a year.

These include the DENR-7 compound in Greenplains Subdivision, Banilad, Mandaue City and Cornilla Lao Residence at the boundary of Barangays Inuburan and Langtad in the City of Naga for TSP measurement; Mabolo Police Station and Cebu Business Park, both in Cebu City, for PM10 measurement.  (FREEMAN)