DENR inaugurates P10-M Air Quality Monitoring Station in Subic Freeport

A P10-million air sensor that measures real-time air quality was inaugurated here on Monday, providing a means to measure systematically the concentrations of pollutants in ambient air and provide a scientific basis for measures to reduce air pollution and protect the community’s health.

The Air Quality Monitoring Station (AQMS) was installed here as part of the Ambient Air Monitoring Network Project of the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for the assessment of air quality in the entire Philippines.

“The world is changing, and we really have to be very vigilant about how climate change is going to be affecting us,” said Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia during the launching.

“We are very fortunate here in SBMA to have this facility, for as you know we are very strict as far as our environment is concerned,” Garcia said. “And we really have to ensure excellent air quality in Subic, considering that we are the number one tourist destination in Central Luzon,” he added.

Funded by the DENR, the AQMS is expected to be a big boost to the Freeport’s environmental protection program as it could measure air pollution coming from motor vehicle emissions, as well as factories and construction sites in Subic.

“Once this is connected to the Internet, results of the air quality measurement will be sent to the DENR main office and the SBMA Ecology Center, and will be posted in airquality-embdenr.gov.ph site for its real-time measurement,” said Engr. Zaldy Pagador, Air Quality Management Division chief of the DENR.

The automated AQMS can give real-time measurement levels of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, particulate matter and ozone present in the air. It is also capable of measuring real-time meteorological factors such as wind speed, direction, humidity, and temperature.

The AQMS project is undertaken pursuant to Republic Act 8749, otherwise known as the Philippine Clean Air Act.

Information from the AQMS will be useful to the SBMA in ensuring that air pollution within the area stays within the standard levels set by the DENR.

The air quality data gathered from the AQMS will also be useful in planning for pollution abatement strategies, Garcia said. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia (4th from left), along with Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer Marife Castillo and SBMA Maintenance and Transportation Department head Angel Bagaloyos (2nd from left) inaugurates the Air Quality Monitoring Station (AQMS) at the Remy Field in the Subic Bay Freeport on Monday. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)