To support the capacity building for EMB Regional Offices (EMB ROs), the DENR Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) has successfully held the Seminar – Workshop on Emission Inventory (Stationary, Mobile, Area) and Air Dispersion Modelling for Region IX Personnel through Microsoft Teams Virtual platform last December 14-15, 2020. The workshop was hosted by EMB Central Office-Air Quality Management Section and attended by EMB Region IX technical staffs from Environmental Monitoring and Enforcement Division (EMED) with participation from EMB Central Offices Environmental Impact Assessment and Management Division (EIAMD).

The online workshop was held to create a focused group for the EMB personnel to gain the necessary knowledge in data gathering and solving the air pollution concentrations for stationary, mobile and area sources which will later be used in the Emissions Inventory. Moreover, it is also included in the objectives of the workshop to equip the participants in utilizing the emissions inventory data to be integrated in Air Dispersion Modelling to help EMB ROs in the Airshed Designation in distinguishing which are within the Attainment or the Non-attainment areas.

The first day of the program was initiated by Engr. Paul Vallar with topics on “Definition, purpose and polices for Emissions Inventory and its purpose on Airshed Designation” followed by his discussion on “Emission Calculation for Industrial and Point area sources (using Emission Factor) – genset, boiler, mining (fugitive dust), cement, paved / unpaved roads”. Engr. Vallar’s presentation was followed by topics on “Emission Calculation for Combustion point sources (using Stoichiometry)” and “Emission Calculation for Mobile Sources” which were discussed by Engr. Jackielyn Barona and wrapped up though the last presentation on “Emission Calculation for Area Sources” discussed by Engr. Angelo Villegas.

The second half of the seminar-workshop was commenced by Mr. Joel Tugano regarding the introduction to the new “Online Platform for Emissions Inventory” for EMB ROs. The event also included several discussions from the EMB AQMS Chief, Engr. Jundy Del Socorro for the topics on “MC 2008-003 (Guidelines for Dispersion Modelling) and its Clean Air Act Policy”, “The Overview of the Lapse Rates and other meteorological factors” and also the “Overview and Applications of Dispersion Modelling”. The seminar was followed by a short exchange of discussions between the participants and the EMB Central Office resource persons and was finally concluded through an online Examination for all participants regarding all of the topics discussed from the lectures .