Meghan Hodges
The Philippines faces significant environmental issues, including air, water, and plastic pollution. In 2018, a World Health Organization report stated that there were 45.3 air pollution-related deaths per 100,000 people in the Philippines. The country's rapid urbanization, with Manila's population density reaching 12,600 people per square kilometre, has led to constant smog and traffic congestion, exacerbated by 2.2 million vehicles on the roads daily. The Pasig River and other waterways are heavily polluted by plastic waste, with an estimated 0.28 to 0.75 million tons of plastic escaping into the waters annually. The Philippines is also one of the top global contributors to plastic pollution in the oceans, threatening its diverse marine biodiversity, including coral reefs. While the government has introduced acts such as the Clean Air Act of 1999 and the Clean Water Act, critics argue that poor enforcement and outdated legislation hinder progress in addressing pollution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Air pollution | Manila ranked 57 out of 98 countries in 2019 with an average PM2.5 reading of 17.6 μg/m³. The main sources of air pollution are vehicles, industrial plants, and power stations. |
| Water pollution | The Philippines is one of the biggest plastic polluters in the world, with an estimated 0.28-0.75 million tons of plastic entering the ocean each year. The Pasig River is particularly affected, with over 6% of the country's plastic waste ending up in it. |
| Plastic pollution | The Philippines is the world's biggest ocean plastic polluter, with an average of 3.3 kg of plastic per person ending up in the ocean annually. This is due to widespread poverty, leading to the purchase of single-use plastic packaging, and insufficient waste management systems. |
| Waste management | The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 aims for a 25% waste reduction through the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle). However, the country has not achieved the goals set out in this Act and continues to struggle with plastic pollution. |
| Air quality index (AQI) | In December 2020, Manila recorded an AQI of 91, classified as "Moderate" by the WHO. During the lockdown period, air quality improved, with PM2.5 levels falling below the WHO's recommended safety guideline of 10 μg/m³. |
| Environmental policies | The Philippines has implemented the Clean Air Act of 1999, the Clean Water Act, and the Extended Producer Responsibility Act (EPRA) in 2022, among others. However, critics argue that the enforcement of these laws needs improvement. |
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What You'll Learn
Air pollution
In 2019, the Philippines ranked 57th out of 98 countries in terms of air pollution, with an average US AQI reading of 63 and an average PM2.5 reading of 17.6 µg/m³. The population-weighted concentration of particulate matter pollution in the Philippines stood at 18.8 micrograms per cubic meter, close to the WHO's recommended maximum concentration of 25 micrograms per cubic meter.
Vehicular emissions are a major source of air pollution in the Philippines, particularly in urban centers like Metro Manila, where the density of people is estimated to be approximately 12,600 per square kilometer. Data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) shows that vehicular sources account for 65% of air pollution in the country. The rapid increase in the number of vehicles on the road, coupled with poor housing conditions and industrial plants or power stations, has led to a constant haze of smog over Manila.
During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, air pollution levels in Manila decreased significantly, with PM2.5 levels dropping to a third of their normal levels. However, experts warned that air pollution levels were expected to rise again once the lockdown restrictions were lifted.
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Water pollution
According to statistics, 43% of the Philippines' rivers and 56% of its major water bodies are polluted. This includes the country's oceans, with plastic pollution being a particularly pressing issue. The Philippines is one of the biggest plastic polluters globally, with an estimated 0.28 to 0.75 million tons of plastic escaping into its waters each year. This plastic waste not only harms marine life but also birds and other sea life, as it is consumed by them. Furthermore, 52% of households lack access to a safely managed water supply, and polluted drinking water led to an average of 50,000 cases of waterborne diseases annually between 2010 and 2019.
Industrial pollution accounts for 24% of the country's water pollution, with over 820,000 industrial facilities in the Philippines releasing pollutants such as heavy metals, oils, solid waste, industrial wastewater, and hazardous chemicals. Agricultural pollution, primarily from animal waste and pesticide and fertiliser runoff, accounts for 37% of water pollution. The country's rapid increase in pesticide and fertiliser use has contributed significantly to this issue.
To address water pollution, the Philippine government has implemented various measures, including the Clean Water Act of 2004, which sets water quality standards and guidelines. However, enforcement of this regulation is often weak due to limited resources. The government has also partnered with organisations like Water.org to improve access to safe water and sanitation for its citizens. Additionally, projects like the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission have shown progress in rehabilitating water bodies, and the Manila Third Sewerage Project has provided connections to water and sewage for thousands of people.
Public awareness, community involvement, and education are also crucial in tackling water pollution. Initiatives like the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Adopt-an-Estero/Waterbody Programme, which involves public-private partnerships to clean and rehabilitate water bodies, are essential steps towards reducing water pollution in the Philippines.
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Plastic pollution
The Philippines has been dubbed the world's biggest ocean plastic polluter. The country's marine biodiversity is one of the most diverse in the world, with an extensive system of coral reefs occupying more than 27,000 square kilometres. However, this rich ecosystem is under threat from plastic pollution.
The Philippines' plastic pollution problem is driven by a multitude of factors, including a sachet economy. With 20 million people living below the poverty line in 2021, many Filipinos are forced to buy small quantities of products at a time. Large corporations exploit this by offering palm-sized packages of products, exacerbating plastic pollution in the country. It is estimated that the Philippines consumes 163 million pieces of sachets every day, with a total of 2.7 million tons of plastic waste generated annually.
Inadequate waste management and a lack of waste disposal facilities also contribute to the problem. Gaps in waste collection, recycling, and disposal systems, as well as limited access to sanitary landfills, mean that a significant portion of plastic waste ends up in landfills and different bodies of water. Approximately 20% of plastic waste finds its way into the ocean, devastating marine ecosystems and endangering marine life.
Various government and non-government organisations have launched initiatives to tackle plastic pollution in the Philippines. These include community-led clean-up efforts, the development of eco-friendly products and packaging by Filipino entrepreneurs, and policy reforms. The Philippines is also transitioning towards a circular economy, with a focus on recycling, reusing, and repurposing materials.
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Poor waste management
The Philippines is considered one of the world's top generators of plastic waste and contributors to plastic pollution in the oceans. The country generates an estimated 43,684 tons of garbage daily, including 4,609 tons of plastic waste, according to government data. The trash is piling up on land, clogging coastlines, spilling into the sea, and travelling to remote corners of the globe.
The Philippines has strong laws addressing solid waste management, including the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, which mandates that all open dumpsites must be converted into sanitary landfills. However, there has been a lack of implementation and enforcement of these laws. A study by the Commission on Audit (COA) revealed a worrying increase in solid waste, with projections suggesting a rise to 24.50 million tons by 2045. The audit also found a significant lack of material recovery facilities (MRFs) and sanitary landfills (SLFs), with only 39.05% of barangays served by MRFs in 2021.
The problem of poor waste management in the Philippines arises largely from poor segregation of waste by households and inefficient waste collection by local government units (LGUs). At the current rate, Metro Manila's three sanitary landfills will be full in 20 years. The COVID-19 pandemic has also resulted in a new type of solid waste—inappropriately discarded disposable masks—posing serious risks to public health and the environment.
The Philippine government has taken some steps to address the issue of poor waste management. For example, in 2018, former President Duterte ordered the closure of the tropical landmark Boracay for six months to carry out rehabilitation works to restore the island from pollution. Despite financial losses, stakeholders stated that it was worth it, as the faecal coliform level in Boracay waters decreased significantly. Additionally, the city of San Fernando, north of Manila, has been lauded by environmentalists for its efforts to address its garbage problem. The city created the City Environment and Natural Resources Office and provided funds to villages for the construction of MRFs and the purchase of waste collection vehicles.
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Air quality standards
The Philippines has put in place several policies and programmes to address pollution, including the Clean Air Act (RA 8749), Clean Water Act (RA 9275), Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003), and the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999. The latter provides for a holistic national program for air pollution management, focused on prevention rather than control. The Environmental Management Bureau is responsible for implementing and enforcing the Clean Air Act, while Local Government Units (LGUs) are tasked with managing and maintaining air quality at the local level.
The DENR Administrative Order No. 14 of 1993 revised the air quality standards of 1978. It states that no person shall build, erect, construct, install, or modify any source that would result in the release of air pollutants into the atmosphere, leading to an ambient air concentration greater than the standards specified in Table 4 of Section 62 of this Chapter. It also prohibits the installation or use of any device that, without reducing the total amount of air contaminant emitted, conceals or dilutes any emission of air contaminants.
The major industries required to install continuous stack monitoring devices for smoke opacity and sulfur oxide emissions include fossil-fuel-fired power plants, petroleum refineries, primary copper smelters, and steel plants.
The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 aims to protect the country's water bodies from pollution from land-based sources, providing a comprehensive and integrated strategy to prevent and minimize pollution through a multi-sectoral and participatory approach involving all stakeholders.
The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 provides the policy framework, institutional mechanisms, and mandate to the LGUs to achieve a 25% waste reduction through establishing integrated solid waste management plans based on the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle).
Despite these measures, the Philippines is considered one of the world's top generators of plastic waste and contributors to plastic pollution in the oceans, with an estimated 0.75 million metric tons of mismanaged plastic entering the ocean each year. Plastic waste is a recognized national crisis, and the country has implemented strategies such as the National Solid Waste Management Strategy 2012-2016 and the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022 to address this issue.
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Frequently asked questions
The Philippines has long been seen as a country with an air pollution problem. In 2019, the country was ranked 57 out of 98 countries, with an average PM2.5 reading of 17.6 μg/m³. In December 2020, Manila's air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 91 US AQI, which falls under "Moderate" according to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) recommendations. The main pollutant was PM2.5 with a concentration of 31.2 μg/m³.
The Philippines has implemented the Clean Air Act of 1999, which provides for a holistic national program for air pollution management focused on pollution prevention. The Environmental Management Bureau is responsible for implementing and enforcing the Clean Air Act, while Local Government Units (LGUs) are tasked with managing and maintaining air quality at the local level.
The Philippines is facing significant water pollution issues, with untreated household sewage, industrial waste, and agricultural waste contaminating almost half of the nation's rivers. Additionally, plastic pollution is a severe problem, with the Philippines being one of the biggest plastic polluters globally. It is estimated that 0.28 to 0.75 million tons of plastic escape into the waters annually from Manila Bay, and plastic waste is also dumped into the country's rivers.
The Philippines has introduced the Clean Water Act of 2004 to protect the country's water bodies from pollution from land-based sources. The government has also implemented the Extended Producer Responsibility Act (EPRA) in 2022, mandating companies to create programs for plastic waste reduction, recovery, and diversion. Local governments continue to take action to improve water quality, and the country has developed waste management plans such as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
