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Thursday, November 24, 2005
City schools to ban entry of smoke belchers
NOVEMBER was declared and adopted as national clean air month in the Philippines pursuant to Proclamation 1109.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), through the Environment Management Bureau (EMB), the lead implementing agency of the Clean Air Act (Republic Act 8749), was tasked to spearhead and coordinate the month-long celebration and is campaigning to enlist various sectors, including the academe in the implementation of the program.
The academic community, specifically the higher education institutions, is being looked upon as models to emulate and provide strategic complementary actions to pursue the overall objectives of the national clean air programs.
One of the programs is the "clean air schools" ban on the entry of smoke-belching vehicles inside the schools' grounds". Through the program, representative schools, in partnership with the EMB and some allied institutions like local government units (LGUs), the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and private emission testing centers, are enjoined to cooperate in the activity.
In the Cordillera region, participating schools include the Saint Louis University (SLU), Benguet State University (BSU), Cordillera Career Development College (CCDC), Easter College (EC) and University of the Philippines (UP) in Baguio City.
The schools will issue respective memoranda or circular adopting policies in support of the clean air program. They will also launch and observe the ban in the entry of smoke-belching vehicles inside their campuses effective Thursday.
Newly installed EMB Regional Director Paquito Moreno said the ban on the entry of smoke belching vehicles in campuses is a simultaneous activity nationwide of all schools participating in the program.
Also, participating schools are encouraged to undertake briefing with respective motor pool, security services and related organizational features of the schools that would be in the best position to disseminate the program. Topics during the briefing may include proper vehicle maintenance of cleaner air, the directives against smoke belching under the Clean Air Act, free emission testing, among others.
Schools will also support other related activities within the school and/or nearby communities as their continuing endeavor.
DENR Regional Executive Director Samuel Peñafiel acknowledged the participation of the schools as really supportive of the program. "There is only one air that we breathe. To keep it clean should be a concerted effort," he said.
(November 24, 2005 issue)
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