The regional office of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), a line agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), will gather stakeholders in the city today, November 27, 2019 at Hotel Centro for the establishment of the Puerto Princesa City Airshed, being the second airshed in the region.
An airshed is a part of the atmosphere that behaves in a coherent way with respect to the dispersion of emissions. It typically forms an analytical or management unit. It is also a geographic boundary for air-quality standards.
Among those who are expected to attend the activity are the heads of the government agencies or their representatives and private sector prospective members.
Atty. Michael Drake P. Matias, regional director of the EMB said that Puerto Princesa City Airshed will be the second airshed within the administrative jurisdiction of MIMAROPA, the first airshed is the Baco-Calapan City-Naujan Airshed in Oriental Mindoro.
He explained that DENR-EMB is mandated to designed certain areas in the country as an airshed, based on climate, weather, meteorology, and topology which affects the mixture and diffusion of pollutants in the air, share common interests or face similar development problems as stated under Rule XV, Section 2 of the DENR Administrative Order 2000-81.
DENR-EMB said that there are 22 airsheds that have been officially designated in the different provinces in the country.
An Airshed Board is chaired by the DENR with members including the provincial governor, city or municipal mayor, head of the concerned government agencies, private sector, and non-government organization representatives.
“This office has determined that a stakeholders’ meeting should be organized in order to discuss pertinent data and information as well as orient future members of the Puerto Princesa City Airshed Governing Board on matters pertaining to the activity,” Atty. Matias said.
He said that the meeting is essential to the successful establishment of the Puerto Princesa City Airshed.