ROAD REVOLUTION. The road-sharing advocacy started here in Cebu City. Bikers occupy the road at Colon corner Mabini Street in this Sept. 24, 2011 ‘road revolution’ run. March 30, 2014 has been declared National Road Sharing Day and will be piloted in Cebu, Iloilo, Pasig and San Juan cities. (CDN FILE PHOTO)
Air quality in Metro Cebu may still be “fair or good”, but the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is supporting the petition for the Supreme Court to issue a Writ of Kalikasan on road sharing.
DENR Central Visayas Director Isabelo Montejo sees the move of environment groups as “a very good opportunity” to improve further the “sound and effective implementation” of the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 or Republic Act Number 8749.
Led by Ramon Magsaysay awardee and Cebuano lawyer Antonio Oposa Jr., the petitioners asked the high tribunal to issue a writ to compel government to implement a road-sharing scheme for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to reduce traffic and air pollution from motor vehicles.
The petitioners wants half of all roads devoted to an “organized, clean and affordable transportation system” and the other half for covered sidewalks, all-weather-bike lanes and urban gardens.
“As explained by Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, should the High Court grant the petition and issue a writ, such will inject new vigor into the DENR’s implementation of policies that bear on the people’s right to breathe clean air,” Montejo added.
The Clean Air Act enacted in 1999 aims to focus on pollution prevention rather than on control.
In 2013, the air quality in Metro Cebu continued to be within a range of either “fair” or “good”, according to a report released by the DENR Environment Management Bureau (EMB). The four-year comparative data on the total suspended particulate (TSP) matter based on a 24-hour average showed 135.89 micrograms per normal cubic meter (µg/Ncm) which is nearly similar to a reading in 2012 of 135.64 µg/Ncm or an increase of 26 percent from 107 µg/Ncm in 2011. The DENR 24-hour guideline value is 230 µg/Ncm with air quality indices ranging from 81 to 230 µg/Ncm which is considered ‘fair’. In 2010, it recorded 119.6 µg/Ncm.
“We should not be complacent with the figures that we have but instead work for acceptable and mitigating measures to maintain and even improve the quality of air we breathe through regular monitoring and partnership with the local government units,” Montejo said.
Carbon dioxide accounts for the biggest pollution load contribution of more than 50 percent, according to the latest Philippine Emission Inventory. Carbon dioxide emission is relatively caused by the increasing number of gasoline-fed vehicles like cars, motorcycles and tricyles.
There are 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 with a minimum of 48 sampling days in a year. These are in the DENR-7
Compound, Greenplains Subdivision, Banilad, Mandaue City and Cornilla Lao Residence, a boundary between Barangays Inuburan and Langtad, Naga City for TSP measurement; Mabolo Police Station in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City, and Cebu Business Park (CBP), Cebu City.