Calamba has cleanest air in Southeast Asia — study

MANILA, Philippines – Calamba City in Laguna province ranked first among the 15 cities with the cleanest air Southeast Asia (SEA) in 2018, a study revealed.

Meanwhile, two Philippine cities, namely Meycuayan in Bulacan and Caloocan in Metro Manila, were among 15 cities in SEA with the most polluted air.

The study from the Swiss-based IQ AirVisual examined measurements of particulate matters known as PM2.5 that can penetrate the human respiratory system causing a wide range of health effects.

The report showed that Calamba City in Laguna ranked first among the cities in SEA with the cleanest air with a PM2.5 concentration (µg/m³) of 9.3 last year.

It was followed by Valenzuela City with an average of 9.9 µg/m³ and Carmona City in Cavite with a 10.9 µg/m³ level.

Parañaque City ranked fifth with 12.2 µg/m³ level followed by Davao City and Makati City.

Manila City came in eighth place with an average of 14.3 µg/m³ in 2018 followed by Mandaluyong with 14.5 µg/m³.

Balanga City in Bataan ranked 12th with a 16.1 µg/m³ level followed by Quezon City with a 17.5 µg/m³.

Lastly, Las Piñas capped the list placing 15th with a 17.9 µg/m³ level in 2018.

Meanwhile, among the SEA cities with the dirtiest air, Meycauayan City ranked seventh with 32.5 µg/m³ in 2018, while Caloocan placed 11th with 31.4 µg/m³ level.

Overall, the Philippines ranked 48th in the list of 73 countries in the study, with a 14.62 μg/m³ in 2018.

Out of the 62 world capitals, Manila ranked 42nd, with a moderate 14.3 μg/m³ level in 2018.

The Philippines also registered the lowest μg/m³ levels among six SEA countries included in the survey, namely, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. /cbb