BAGUIO CITY August 16 – The Baguio-La Trinidad-Itogon-Sablan-Tuba-Tublay (BLISTT) Airshed Governing Board continues to urge local governments and concerned government agencies to adopt a Carless Day to contribute to the collective efforts of the government and private sector in reducing air pollution.
The Governing Board reiterated its previous appeal after Sablan Mayor Arthur Baldo reported that the Sablan municipal government started implementing a Carless Day every first Thursday of the month in compliance to the earlier resolution of the board.
Regional Director Reynaldo Digamo of the Cordillera office of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-CAR), who presided over the BLISTT Airshed Governing Board meeting Thursday, said the implementation of a Carless Day within the premises of concerned government agencies and within the areas of jurisdiction of local governments will not only save fuel costs but more importantly significantly reduce the pollutants in the air, particularly carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
At present, the University of the Philippines College Baguio (UPCB) is implementing its Carless Day every Wednesday while the La Trinidad municipal government and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) family is implementing Carless Day in the compound of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), DENR compound in Pacdal, Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-CAR) in Diego Silang and the Watershed and Water Resource Research Center (WWRC) in Loakan every first Thursday of the month.
He underscored that the implementation of a Carless Day by the concerned government agencies and local governments even for a single day will help in reduction of pollutants in the air and will contribute in efforts to instill awareness on the importance of reducing air pollution among the residents and visitors alike.
In relation to the presence of clean air ordinances among the concerned local governments, Digamo claimed only Baguio City has an approved local clean air measure while La Trinidad municipal administrator Miller Quintin reported that the town’s clean air ordinance is being finalized and ready for submission to the municipal council for second reading.
In the case of Tuba, the local government’s clean air ordinance has been submitted for consideration and appropriate action by the municipal council.
The EMB-CAR official underscored that BLISTT local governments must speed up the adoption of a Carless Day and put in place a local clean air ordinance in their areas of jurisdiction to help the environment department achieve the realization of a clean environment beneficial for the present and future generation of inhabitants. It is important for the present generation to guarantee a healthy environment for their children and their children’s children.
“We must value the importance of the environment to our lives by ensuring its preservation and protection. Let us not allow nature to get back at us in the future,” Digamo stressed.**By Dexter A. See
