Improving Air Quality in the Philippines: Lessons Learned in Six Years of Implementing the Philippin

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Improving Air Quality in the Philippines Lessons
Learned in Six Years of Implementing the
Philippine Clean Air Act and Interventions
Necessary for Cleaner Air in the Philippines
Presented by DONATO S. DE LA CRUZDepartment of
Chemical EngineeringUniversity of the
Philippines - Diliman
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INTENT OF THE PHILIPPINE CLEAN AIR ACT OF 1999
Air Pollution Control
Guarantee the PEOPLES right to breathe CLEAN AIR
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INTEGRATED AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT FRAMEWORK
official blueprint with which all government
agencies must comply with to attain and maintain
ambient air quality standards.
economic incentives
permissible standard
control strategies/ measures
education and information
management strategies
collective action
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AIRSHED

• Area with similar climate, meteorology and
  topology OR areas with common interest or facing
  similar development programs, prospects or
  problems.

• Each Airshed shall formulate its action plan.

• Managed by an AIRSHED GOVERNING BOARD composed of
  the Secretary of the environment and natural
  resources, local government officials, concerned
  national government agencies,peoples
  organization, NGO, private sector.

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AIRSHED
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• Only a few of the 15 AIRSHEDs have functional
  GOVERNING BOARD.

• None of the identified airshed had been declared
  as non-attainment area for any specific
  pollutant.

AIRSHED

• The Metro Manila Governing Board will be composed
  of more than 100 members.

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EMISSION CHARGE SYSTEM
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• No emission charge system for motor vehicles has
  been implemented. Establishing the basis for
  emission charge system is hard to establish.

EMISSION CHARGE SYSTEM

• Emission charge system for stationary sources has
  been opposed by industry.

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AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT FUND (AQMF)
SOURCES
USES
AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT FUND (AQMF) DENR
administered Special Account in the National
Treasury
Restoration and rehabilitation of affected areas
Fines and damages awarded to the government
Containment, removal or clean-up operations
Proceeds of licenses and permits
Research, enforcement and monitoring activities
Emission fees
Donations, endowments and grants
Technical assistance to relevant agencies
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• Although the initial intention of the AQMF was to
  make fund available for clean air readily
  available, its being a SPECIAL ACCOUNT in the
  National Treasury requires the same procedural
  requirement as regular budget allotment.

AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT FUND

• It is being proposed to make AQMF a REVOLVING
  FUND administered by the DENR. This however will
  require legislative action.

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BAN ON INCINERATION
INCINERATION BU R N I N Gof municipal and
hazardous wastes, which process emits toxic and
poisonous fumes is NOT ALLOWED
INCINERATION of hospital wastes NOT ALLOWED
NON-BURN TECHNOLOGIESshall be PROMOTED
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The Philippine Supreme Court ruled that there is
no absolute BAN on Incineration. The law allows
the construction and operation of incinerators
that do not emit toxic and poisonous fumes.
BAN ON INCINERATION
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INSPECTION OF MOTOR VEHICLES
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Private sector participation in cleaning the air
was encouraged through the Private Emission
Testing Centers (PETCs)
VEHICLE EMISSION TESTING SYSTEM
Motor Vehicle Inspection System at Land
Transportation Office (LTO)
Land Transportation Office
PUBLIC UTILITY VEHICLES
EMISSION TESTING (issuance of CEC)
REGISTRATION
Land Transportation Office
Private Emission Testing Center
DATABASE Land Transportation Office
PRIVATE VEHICLES
Test Results
I.T. SERVICE PROVIDER
CEC - Certificate of Emission Compliance
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In 2004, 98 of motor vehicles tested passed the
emission test.

• There is in general over supply of (PETC) private
  emission testing centers.

• The oversupply forces some PETCs to resort to
  corrupt practices, such as issuing CECs to
  vehicles without undergoing emission test.

VEHICLE EMISSION TESTING SYSTEM

• The establishment of PETC is viewed as investment
  and employment generation opportunity rather than
  as instrument for cleaning the air.

• Little resources had been allotted to monitoring
  of PETCs.

• The PETCs are not linked to vehicle registration
  center resulting to proliferation of fake CECs.

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PROPOSED VEHICLE EMISSION TESTING
Linking PETC to LTO vehicle registration center
is expected to minimize the proliferation of
fakes Certificate of Emission Certificates.
REGISTRATION
EMISSION TESTING (issuance of CEC)
DATABASE
Land Transportation Office
Land Transportation Office
Private Emission Testing Center
Test Results
I.T. SERVICE PROVIDER
CEC - Certificate of Emission Compliance
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• Roadside apprehension of smoke belching vehicles
  has been hampered by the following

• Apprehension requires use of opacity meter and
  disallowed use of visual method.

ROADSIDE APPREHENSION

• Fines collected from apprehended vehicles were
  centralized to the Air Quality Management Fund.
  Organizations/agencies involved in apprehension
  have a hard time in accessing the fund to finance
  their roadside apprehension.

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BAN ON LEADED GASOLINE
LEADED FUELS WERE PHASED OUT STARTING JANUARY 1,
2001
The strong clamor from the members of the civil
society forced the government to adopt this
policy.
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FUEL STANDARDS
Lower aromatics and benzene in gasoline, which
was implemented in 2004, resulted to P0.50 (US
0.10) per liter increase in the pump price of
gasoline.
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GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
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GOVERNMENT AGENCIES - MOBILE SOURCES OF POLLUTION
LEAD AGENCY
COORDINATING AGENCY
DENR - Department of Environment and Natural
ResourcesDOTC - Department of Transportation and
CommunicationsDTI - Department of Trade and
IndustryLGU - Local Government Unit
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GOVERNMENT AGENCIES - MOBILE SOURCES OF POLLUTION

• The involvement of too many government agencies
  in the implementation of the CAA has delayed the
  implementation of certain provisions because of
  the lack of coordination.

• The Department of Transportation and
  Communications, tasked to implement emission
  standards for motor vehicles, lack the resources
  to implement the law.

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CITIZEN SUIT
any citizen may file an appropriate
civil,criminal or administrative action in the
proper courts against

• Any person who violates or fails to comply the
  CAA.

• Government agencies, which issued orders, rules
  and regulations inconsistent with the CAA.

• Any public officer who willfully or grossly
  neglects the performance of his duty abuses his
  authority in the performance of his duty or
  improperly performs his duties.

Citizen Suit promotes citizen participation
Citizen suit prods government officials to take
necessary action