Clean Air Act

In our class in Filipino II today, we’ve taken up the text about the Clean Air Act. Our Filipino teacher has emphasized some of the issues about this provision.

Clean Air Act, a legislation designed to regulate and reduce air pollution in the Philippines. This was signed into law through the guts showed by Bukidnon Representative Nerus Acosta. Without her valor, this would have not pass through in the congress because of the objections of some businessmen that are of influence and some politicians in the country.

The Clean Air Act has two objectives: (1) to improve the nation's air quality and (2) to reduce or eliminate certain air pollutants that have been linked to problems for human health or the environment. Though approved, Clean Air Act was outmoded by the Filipino people especially the drivers. The Clean Air Act designates maximum allowable levels of pollutants from automotive and industrial emissions and sets general standards for acceptable levels of pollution in the air. But other vehicles who fail the emission test can still pass through the so called “lagay,” money paid to do cheating.

If we will think of it, this Clean Air Act is for the sake of all Filipinos – our health is too much affected by the dirtiness of air. Call it desperate but those vehicles which would fail the emission test must be phase out for a common good. Every driver has to face this reality. Which would you choose - to lose your sideline in driving or the extinction of humanity in the near future because of air pollution?