Philippines

Air pollution in the Philippines is a growing national concern, ranking as the third highest risk factor for adverse health outcomes. The country experiences high PM2.5-related mortality rates, exceeding the global urban average, with Metro Manila being a major pollution hotspot. The primary contributors to urban air pollution include industrial emissions and the transportation sector, with cars, buses, and motorcycles responsible for 65% of total urban emissions. A major contributor is the open-air public utility jeepneys, which run on diesel engines and generate 94% of total urban soot mass. Additionally, coal-fired power plants account for 87% of SO₂ emissions and one-third of particulate matter pollution, causing USD 165 million in economic losses annually.

The country’s annual mean PM2.5 exposure is 20.3 µg/m³, which is 4.1 times the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³. In 2024, 43,000 deaths were linked to air pollution, 59 per 100,000 people, with stroke (12%), ischemic heart disease (11%), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (11%) being the leading causes. The economic cost of air pollution reached USD 44.8 billion in 2019, nearly 12% of the country’s GDP.

The Philippines has a robust air quality monitoring network, with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) operating 75 air quality monitors across 16 regions. These include 34 continuous and 41 manual monitoring stations that track criteria pollutants. Academic institutions and private agencies, such as the University of the Philippines and the Rotary Club of Makati, operate additional monitoring networks to measure PM2.5 and PM10 levels. The Philippines Nuclear Research Institute monitors black carbon, while the country also participates in international initiatives such as the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) and the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET).

The Philippine Clean Air Act (Republic Act 8749, 1999) is the country’s most comprehensive air quality legislation, setting national ambient air quality standards and regulating emissions. Initiatives such as the Bantay Tambutso campaign, which enforces vehicular emission standards, and the Linis Hangin (Clean Air) program focus on public awareness and emission testing. Additionally, the Climate Change Act of 2009 (Republic Act 9729) created the Climate Change Commission, which oversees mitigation strategies. Other key policies include the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP), aiming to triple renewable energy use by 2030, and the People’s Survival Fund, which supports climate change mitigation projects. These efforts reflect the Philippines’ commitment to both air quality improvement and long-term climate resilience, though sustained implementation and stricter enforcement remain crucial for achieving lasting improvements.