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Air quality in Metro Manila to improve next year — DENR


The government on Wednesday vowed to reduce air pollution in Metro Manila by next year through stricter implementation of anti-air pollution laws on vehicles. Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said in a Senate briefing on the state of the country’s environment and natural resources Wednesday that the department is planning to reduce the total suspended particles in Metro Manila by 30 percent in 2011. Metro Manila’s air contains 48 percent more of the normal amount of suspended particles as of last year due to the increased number of diesel vehicles and coal-burning power plants in the country’s capital region, he said. Paje said that to address this problem, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has asked the Land Transportation Office (LTO) for an intensified emission testing on vehicles to make sure that they do not contribute to air pollution. “There should not be a ‘no-show’ emission certification," the DENR chief said in a statement. Paje likewise proposed the instillation of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in emission centers to monitor whether these centers are conducting the right tests or not. He added that the DENR has also secured 30 electronic motorcycles with zero emission from the Asian Development Bank “to be used as a showcase, with the end view of encouraging owners and drivers to shift to zero-emission motorcycles." - Andreo Calonzo/KBK, GMANews.TV

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