BAGUIO CITY – With the aim for cleaner air in the city, new smoke-belching testing machines are being acquired for those voluntarily having their vehicles tested.
These are mulled to be installed at the Baguio Convention Center grounds, a more spacious area for vehicle maneuvering, than the Wastewater, Water and Ambient Air Management Division (WWAMD) area of the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) at Sanitary Camp.
This was announced by Mayor Mauricio Domogan during the Alay Sa Kalinisan (ASK) meetings at city hall.
An instruction was also given for WWAMD head Engr. Moises Lozano to facilitate the testing of vehicles, given the willingness of owners to queue at the testing center. The mayor sees this as personal and purposeful support from Baguioites.
A technician to operate said machine shall also be hired, it was known.
Clean-up of the air goes on with public health at stake, the mayor added.
In the latest report for roadside air quality, the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), Mines View and Pacdal Circle areas registered “good.” Other air quality indices show ranges from “good,” “fair,” “unhealthy,” “very unhealthy,” acutely unhealthy,” and “emergency;” with corresponding warnings for individuals with respiratory conditions.
The Roadside Inspection, Testing and Monitoring Team (RITMT) report for January yielded 1,017 gas and diesel-fed vehicles flagged, 920 tested with 477 (51.85%) passing and 443 (48.15%) failing.
There were government, private and public utility vehicles, school services and buses, from those tested, with P722,500 collected as polluter’s, voluntary testing, testing fees, penalty of driver, and certificate of compliance.
Reports on air ambience are given regularly during the once-a-month ASK meetings. The ASK deals with issues on environment, specifically the anti-graffiti, forestry and re-greening, water and air quality, anti-smoke belching, market and health, among others.
Local government officials and employees, private individuals, the media, Philippine National Police, the academe, transport, socio-civic organizations and business sector representatives regularly attend the ASK meetings./Julie G. Fianza
