[PART 4] Sharing the last of each kind. The last draft I have prepared and written for the people and agencies I have worked with . . .
Zubiri seeks an immediate review of Clean Air Act
Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, Chair of the Senate Committee on
Environment and Natural Resources, today called for an immediate review and
assessment of the Clean Air Act following the latest DENR findings that major
urban centers in the country remain highly polluted despite government efforts
to protect the environment.
"Metro Manila is now the number one in air pollution
worldwide according to the DENR. We need to assess and review our laws to make
them more effective, or to know if they are effective at all. In other
highly-urbanized cities in the world, after a landmark environmental protection
law is passed, they show notable improvements. It seems that we are the only
ones who are not picking up," Zubiri explained.
DENR has released its findings that the vicinity around Pasay-Taft
in EDSA is the most polluted area in the country in terms of Total Suspended
Particulates (TSP) or the amount of dust in the air with 257 ug/Ncm (micrograms
per normal cubic meters) against the standard level of 90 ug/Ncm. It also found
out that in Metro Manila alone the highest level of air pollution is almost
twice beyond the international standard.
Zubiri further noted that the high level of air pollution poses a
major health risk among urban dwellers emphasizing that "we might be
raising a generation of suffering children. They have stunted growth and are
getting dumber."
"It has been ten years since the Clean Air Act has been
enforced and yet the country has not shown any significant improvement in its
drive to reduce air pollution," Zubiri said further noting that emission
test for vehicles should be regulated by the DENR instead of the LTO.
"Alam naman natin lahat na marami pa ring fixers sa LTO kung
saan magbayad ka lang ng P1,200 ipapasa na ang sasakyan mo sa emission test
kahit na no-show ito or hindi na ito kailangan dalhin sa mismong testing
centers," Zubiri said.