BAGUIO CITY — The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in the Cordillera region is encouraging the public to use other means of merry making and avoid fireworks, fire crackers and other pyrotechnic materials during the Yuletide celebration to ensure cleaner air.
EMB Regional Director Reynaldo Digamo said that they are calling on the public to use other means of merry making and enjoyment during the during Christmas and New Year celebration not only to avoid accidents due to fire crackers but also for the air to be cleaner.
Digamo said that the use of fireworks and fire crackers and other materials would contribute to the pollutants in the air especially in urban areas such as in Baguio City and La Trinidad which are already high in air pollutants.
He explained that the city and other nearby areas are already experiencing additional pollution in the air due to volume of cars emitting carbon dioxides.
The traffic congestion in Baguio City’s central business district is seen as one of the major sources of pollutants, particularly during weekends when the traffic number coding is lifted so all sorts of vehicles pass through the city’s main thoroughfares.
Studies by the EMB show that the cold weather also could cause pollutants as vehicle emissions stay in the air longer than during normal or warmer weather.
The colder weather will make the particulate matter dissipate in the air slower than usual, and these particulates may be inhaled by people. Digamo said they are supporting the move of the city government of Baguio and other local government units to regulate or even totally ban the use of fireworks, fire crackers and other pyrotechnic materials during the Yuletide revelries to ensure a safe celebration and clean air. (JDP/RMC- PIA CAR)