PCA has a new coordinator!

Ms. Chee-Anne Guzman is the new Coordinator of the Partnership for Clean Air starting May 15. She was previously connected with the Environmental Management Bureau ? Department of Environment and Natural Resources (EMB-DENR) handling public awareness components of projects such as the World Bank-administered National CFC Phase-out Plan Project and the ADB-assisted Metro Manila Air Quality Improvement Sector Development Programme. She is a candidate for graduation with a Master's degree in Environmental Management, a joint program of the Ateneo de Manila University and University of San Francisco.

Chee-Anne currently holds office at the Partnership for Clean Air Office, 2 nd Floor, Manila Observatory, Ateneo de Manila University Campus, Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City. You may contact her at 426-5921 to 23 local 212.

PCA held a briefing meeting with DENR Secretary Reyes
The PCA Board of Directors, Coordinator and the Clean Air Initiatives for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia) Secretariat met with the DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes last 25 April 2006 to discuss possible areas for collaboration in future air quality management activities.

During the meeting, Secretary Reyes appointed Undersecretary Bravo to represent DENR as member of the PCA Board. The Articles of Incorporation of PCA, Inc. states that a nominee representing the DENR shall serve as ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees for a period of 3 years renewable (Article II, Section 2(c)). Senior level officials from the DENR is also expected to participate in the Better Air Quality 2006 Workshop and First Governmental Meeting on Urban Air Quality in Asia organized by UNEP, CAI-Asia, UNCRD in Yogyakarta, Indonesia this September.

The PCA and DENR agreed to jointly conduct the Development Partner's Coordination Meeting on Clean Air in the Philippines sometime in June.

"Take-a-Pic-4-Clean-Air" Program
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines through its National Committee on Legal Aid (NCLA) and its National Environmental Action Team (NEAT) in cooperation with the Association of Metro Manila Anti-Smoke Belching Units (AMMA) and the Partnership for Clean Air (PCA) launched the "Take-a-Pic-4-Clean-Air" Program last 21 April 2006 at the People Power Monument along EDSA with support from the Energy and Clean Air Project (ECAP) . Representatives from different public and private organizations attended the launch, signifying support to the program which aims to encourage ordinary citizens to take action against smoke-belchers pursuant to the citizen suit provision of the Clean Air Act.

Under the Program, ordinary citizens can take pictures of smoke-belching vehicles and send the pictures to IBP for legal action. The IBP will inquire from the LTO the names and addresses of the owners of the vehicles caught on camera. The IBP, in behalf of those who took the pictures of the vehicles, will send Notices to Sue to the vehicle owners. More details at http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-70658.html

MMAQISDP Review of the Draft Me tro Manila Airshed Governing Board Action Plan, Work Process Design Workshop, and Validation and Prioritization of Training Activities
17 May 2006
AQMTC Training Room, Quezon City
The PCA participated in the said workshop organized by the Technical Secretariat of the Governing Board of the Metro Manila Airshed. The main goals of the Governing Board which were presented during the meeting as follows: 1) achieve self-reliance and sufficiency in fund generation and mobilization; 2) review and revise ambient air quality guideline values; and 3) intensify stakeholders' awareness and encourage genuine commitment and participation.

The PCA has been proposed to take active role as part of the interim TWG for Public Awareness Actions and is expected to : 1) assist the Governing Board in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all advocacy and education activities in vario us forms; and 2) assist the Governing Board in the dissemination of Air Quality Index.

Developing Fuel Quality Roadmaps for Conventional Fuels in Asia
22-23 May 2006
ADB Headquarters, Ortigas Center
The Asian Development Bank and the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia) convened representatives from the oil industry, vehicle manufacturers, Asian governments, and development institutions to discuss how Asian countries should move forward in developing their fuel quality roadmaps. A document, which aims to guide decision-makers and other stakeholders in establishing use of cleaner fuels in Asia, will be finalized by June 2006. It will serve as an input to the first Governmental Meeting on Urban Air Quality, which CAI-Asia will co-host with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) and the Ministry of Environme nt in Indonesia in September 2006.

The presentations from this workshop can be downloaded at:
http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-70655.html

Synergies for Development: A WWF Forum on Climate Change and Renewable Energy
May 24, 2006
Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Makati City
The WWF-Philippines, together with the klima Climate Change Center-Manila Observatory and GEF-UNDP-DOE's "Philippines: Capacity Building to Remove Barriers to Renewable Energy Development" or CBRED Project, held a forum on climate change and renewable which brought together legislators from the House of Representatives, experts from the Department of Energy, the academe, the business sector, and representatives from the financial institutions and the donor community.
Among the topics discussed were climate change and its current and future impacts on the Philippines, how renewable energy can play an important role in preventing dangerous climate change and help the country achieve energy independence and how the passage of the Renewable Energy (RE) Bill will help achieve this. More details at:
http://www.klima.ph/announcement_board/cc_re_forum.htm

Climate Change Mitigation in the Transport Sector
24-25 May 2006
ADB Headquarters, Ortigas Center
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in cooperation with the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia), with support from the Government of the United Kingdom through the Department for International Development (DFID), have initiated a study towards the formulation of dedicated policies to reduce the growth in greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector in Asia. The study will be an input to the first Governmental Meeting on Urban Air Quality, which CAI-Asia will co-host with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) and the Ministry of Environment in Indonesia in September 2006.
The presentations from this workshop can be downloaded at : http://www.cl eanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-70656.html

Launching of the new Petron Carbon Flush
31 May 2006
Petron Service Station, C5 ? Taguig City
"A clean engine is an efficient engine. The launch of our Petron Carbon Flush is part of a larger effort to promote energy conservation by providing our customers the latest technologies to enhance engine performance, and Petron will continue to implement programs to ease the burden of rising fuel prices," stated Nicasio I. Alcantara, chairman of Petron during the launching program.
The Petron Carbon Flush is injected into a running engine as a fine spray which effectively removes carbon deposits resulting in a cleaner burning engine and therefore adds savings in fuel and better gas mileage. In the demonstration during the launch, smoke emissions of diesel-fed vehicles injected with Carbon Flush showed immediate visible improvement and a reduction of emissions by as much as 70%.
Carbon Flush is initially available in 21 Petron service stations and Petron is offering it to motorists FREE for one month. Check out your nearest Petron station if you are interested to avail of this service.

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES

Development Partners Coordination Meeting on Clean Air (TBA)
The objectives of the meeting are: (i) to present and share the government's program on urban air quality management; (ii) to facilitate a discussion between government and its main development partners on policies on air quality management; (iii) to take stock of current and planned air quality management programs or projects; and (iv) to identify emerging is sues in air quality management and their strategic policy and investment implications.

National Conference on Tricycle Transportation Development
28-30 June 2006
Iloilo Grand Hotel, Iloilo City
This national conference intends to equip key personnel of local government units (LGUs) with useful and practical know-how in exercising its local government mandate to regulate the operation and franchise of tricycles within their jurisdiction. It also aims to enhance the capacity of the LGU to implement regulatory policy on tricycle-specific air and noise pollution. The conference is jointly organized by the Vice Mayors' League of the Philippines, the Department of Transportation and Communication (DoTC) and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).