Manila: The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is advocating for more stringent emission regulations in an effort to maintain the air quality improvements observed in 2024.
According to Philippines News Agency, the DENR recently released a press statement citing a report by its Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), which highlighted significant reductions in harmful particulate matter levels across the nation last year. The EMB's monitoring data revealed a 17.4 percent decrease in Particulate Matter 10 (PM10) concentrations in Metro Manila, dropping from 46 micrograms per normal cubic meter (µg/ncm) in 2016 to 38 µg/ncm in 2024. Nationally, PM10 levels fell by 28.2 percent, averaging 28 µg/ncm, well below the national air quality guideline ceiling of 60 µg/ncm.
Finer pollutants, known as PM2.5, also registered notable improvements. Metro Manila saw a 37.6 percent decline in PM2.5 levels, reducing from 27 µg/ncm in 2016 to 16.86 µg/ncm in 2024. On a national scale, levels decreased from 20 µg/ncm to 16 µg/ncm, remaining under the 25 µg/ncm allowable limit during the same period.
The DENR-EMB reported that 65 percent, or 22 out of 34 highly urbanized and major cities, achieved the national air quality guideline values in 2024, surpassing the government's target of 62 percent. Particulate matter, or PM, consists of tiny solid or liquid particles in the air that can pose health risks when inhaled. PM10 includes particles 10 micrometers or smaller, such as dust, smoke, and soot, which can reach the lungs. PM2.5 particles are ultrafine, measuring 2.5 micrometers or smaller, and are more dangerous as they can penetrate deeper into the lungs and enter the bloodstream.
Under the national air quality guideline values, PM10 must not exceed 60 µg/ncm annually, while PM2.5 should not surpass 25 µg/ncm. The DENR attributes this progress to sustained efforts to reduce vehicular emissions, enhanced industrial emission controls, and improved air quality monitoring under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s midterm administration. The agency emphasized the need for further regulatory action to preserve these gains.
