Tuesday, August 10, 2004 DENR declares South Cotabato an airshed By Bong S. Sarmiento
KORONADAL CITY -- In a bid to boost the implementation of the Clean Air Act, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Friday designated South Cotabato as an airshed area.
An airshed refers to areas with common weather or meteorological conditions and sources of pollution such as industries or vehicles, which affect the interchange or diffusion of pollution in the atmosphere.
Environment Secretary Elisea Gozun signed Department Administrative Order 2004-22 making South Cotabato as the eleventh airshed area all through out the country.
The province is composed of this city as the capital and the towns of Polomolok, Tupi, Tampakan, Banga, Surallah, Norala, Sto. Niño, T'boli, Lake Sebu and Tantangan.
Gozun also included the chartered city of General Santos under the South Cotabato airshed area.
She said the designation of the South Cotabato airshed is part of the intensified campaign of government to implement the Clean Air Act, which calls for the designation of airsheds in different parts of the country
"Local governments of South Cotabato must initiate efforts to further improve the quality of air in the region. An airshed governing board will soon be established to ensure that all the goals of the region in improving air quality are met," Gozun said.
The airshed, according to her, will be managed by a governing board composed of local government officials of the province; regional Directors of the Departments of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), Health (DOH), Trade and Industry (DTI), Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Science and Technology (DOST); and representatives from the private sector, peoples organizations, and non-government organizations.
Before South Cotabato's designation, the DENR has already designated 10 other airsheds all over the country, half of which are in Mindanao.
These airsheds in Mindanao are the Metro Davao, Agusan del Sur, Metro Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga City and Agusan del Norte.
Those in other parts of the country are Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Cordillera Autonomous Region, Naga City and Tuguegarao.
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