Despite intense lobbying by business, Philippine President Joseph Estrada signed
a landmark Clean Air Act into law. Air pollution has reached alarming levels,
according to the Asian Development Bank. The pollution in Manila is five times
higher than the World Health Organization’s tolerable standard.
The three major Philippine oil companies – Petron Corp., Pilipinas Shell, and
Caltex Philippines – estimate they will spend $158 million to upgrade their refineries to meet the new standards.
With this law, the Philippines is the first country in the world to approve a nationwide ban on incinerators. Biomedical waste incinerators will be phased out
over three years. Only cremation and agricultural burning practices, covered by existing laws, will continue. Greenpeace described the law as an environmental milestone.
The law phases out leaded gasoline by next year and reduces aromatics in unleaded gasoline from 50 – 35 percent and benzene from 5 – 2 percent by 2003.
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