BRM supports firecracker ban in Baguio

PHILIPPINES — The leader of the Baguio Regreening Movement (BRM) is urging city residents to celebrate the holidays without lighting a firecracker or pyrotechnic material to prevent pollution. Attorney Erdolfo Balajadia said this on Thursday during the weekly “Talakayan sa city environment code” forum of Radyo Pilipinas-Baguio in partnership with BRM. Balajadia said firecrackers emit smoke that adds to air pollution. City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) chief Cordellia Lacsamana narrated that in the past years, they had installed mobile air monitoring system in different parts of the city from December 24 to January 1 and the result showed a high concentration of particulate matter that worsened the air quality in the city. “The air quality spiked during the period. We encourage the residents of Baguio to think whether they want a noisy and happy celebration of Christmas and New Year or a happy with clean air to breath during the holidays,” she said.

Health experts say that air pollution is one of the contributory factors for the rise in asthma attack during the holidays, aside from the low temperature being experienced in Baguio. Dr. Donnabel Tubera, of the Baguio Health Services Office (HSO), said that a high number of hospital admissions are recorded during the season due to asthma attack. She, however, said that they have yet to conduct a study whether the cases are weather-related or due to the smoke emission from firecrackers.

(northboundasia)