Statement of Commitment: Healthcare Sector in the Philippines Prescribe Clean Air to Save Lives
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We, the undersigned, acknowledging that lives of about 7 million people around the world are destroyed by poor air quality that causes premature deaths, diseases like stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory infections such as pneumonia every year;

Considering that in the Philippines, in a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), there were about 45.3 air pollution-related deaths for every 100,000 people - the third highest in the world;

Cognizant that particulate matter with a diameter of between 2.5 and 10 micrometers (PM10), and particles with a diameter of of less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) like sulfate and black carbon can penetrate deep into the lungs or cardiovascular system;

Aware that our continued dependence on fossil fuel for energy and transportation drives outdoor and indoor air pollution, which was responsible for about 1 in 5 deaths worldwide in 2018;

Emphasizing that we, as health professionals and advocates of environmental and people’s health, are responsible to defend the public from air pollution-related health risks;

Noting that we are in a position to lend our expertise to the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Climate Change Commission (CCC), Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of Energy (DOE), and other concerned government agencies on their initiatives to address air pollution in the country;

HEREBY RESOLVED, that we will strongly advocate for clean air in the Philippines by:

  1. supporting clean and renewable energy sources; 
  2. pushing for policy and technological developments that can prevent, remove, and treat air pollutants from the environment and household levels; 
  3. campaigning for improvements in our current air quality monitoring systems; 
  4. promoting healthy lifestyles that can reduce our emissions; and,
  5. actively engaging with the DOH, DENR, DOTr, DOE, CCC and other government agencies on their various initiatives to address air pollution and protect people’s health in the country.

We urge the government to:

  1. fast track the updating of our current air quality standards following the new limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO);
  2. implement a stricter enforcement of policies, administrative orders and ordinances that accompany the Clean Air Act, specifically emission laws and standards;
  3. require Health Impact Assessments (HIA) and Health Impact Clearance Certificates (HICC) for all development projects, including those proposed by the national government and not just the local governments; 
  4. invest in and strengthen our air quality monitoring systems and make them easily accessible to the public and available real-time, as this will enable us to assess the effectiveness of our policies and program interventions; and,
  5. accelerate our transition away from fossil-fuel energy sources and into clean and renewable energy to protect people’s health and our environment.

Signed this 7th day of September 2022, at Philippine College of Chest Physicians, Quezon City.

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