Press Release
June 26, 2009

Loren cites air pollution's heavy toll
5,000 deaths, P14-B in economic losses each year

Senator Loren Legarda warned today that the worsening air pollution in Metro Manila can be expected to exact a heavy toll on people living in the metropolis, as well as on the economy in view of labor man-hour losses and additional health care costs.

Loren issued the statement as she took note of a report by the Environment Management Bureau that air quality in the National Capital Region had deteriorated further, with total suspended particulates (TSPs) increasing from 131 micrograms per normal cubic meter (ug/Ncm) in 2007 to 138ug/Ncm in 2008.

"What this tells us is that not enough is being done to solve the problem. Pollution in general results to increased mortality rates due to associated diseases like respiratory ailments in the case of high TSPs," said Loren.

"It also takes a toll on the economy on money spent to treat people and on man-hours lost, while generally diminishing the quality of life in affected communities," she added.

Loren noted that a study a few years back by the Philippine Environment Monitor showed that there were nearly 4,968 premature deaths each year in Manila alone due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases from exposure to poor air quality.

The report released two years ago was a joint effort of the World Bank and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The about 5,000 fatalities accounted for 12 percent of all deaths in the metropolis, the highest in any urban area in the country, it said.

WB's Rural Development, Natural Resources and Environmental Sector had said then that one-fifth of the reported cases of disease were due to air and water pollution, poor sanitation and hygiene.

Loren noted the report's estimate that P14 billion each year are lost as cost of treatment and lost income by those affected by pollution.

"An increase in air pollutants will undoubtedly result to an increase in problems associated with them," said Loren, whose Luntiang Pilipinas organization had planted over two million trees nationwide since 1998, precisely to help address air pollution and soil erosion problems.

The senator, nonetheless, recognized the gains that had been made in protecting the environment, including the closure of a number of coal-fired power plants in Manila in 2001, resulting to the reduction in sulfur dioxide concentrations.

Likewise, the said the Clean Air Act also paved the way of the phasing out of the additive lead in gasoline products, a toxic and highly polluting substance.

According to the monitor, about 18 million Filipinos live in cities with very high pollution levels due to the high concentration of industries and motor vehicles.

It broke down the particulate emissions in Manila as follows: from motor vehicles (84 percent), solid waste burning (10 percent), and industries (5.5 percent).

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