The regional Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said air quality in Metro Cebu remains ‘good and fair’ though it doesn’t cover its entire air shed.
“We only have four air monitoring equipment located at Barangay Banilad, Mabolo Police Station, Cebu Business Park and Naga. Metro Cebu covers the cities and towns from Naga City in the south to Compostela in the north,” said Engr. Cindylyn Pepito of the DENR’s Ambient Quality Monitoring Section.
During the Kapihan sa PIA (Philippine Information Agency) at DENR 7’s regional office in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City, Engr. Pepito also confirmed that two new air monitoring equipment donated by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) were installed in Naga City
The new TSI Particles Instruments gives real-time updates of the air quality within their area, and each costs P11 million.
“They are placed at the Naga Oval and within the perimeters of Naga City’s Hall of Justice, and among all the air monitoring equipment we have, they have the bigger coverage,” she said.
Pepito also said they filed a proposal to set up additional air monitoring equipments to give more concrete results on Metro Cebu’s air quality.
Their plan is set up three TSI Particles Instruments at Lapu Lapu City, Ateneo de Cebu and one at the Mambaling Campus of University of Cebu.
“We intended these locations because geographically, if we place our equipment in these sites, they will form a triangle to that encompasses the highly urbanized area of Metro Cebu,” Pepito said.