The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), through the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), in partnership with Clean Air Asia (CAA) and Innogy Solutions Inc., facilitated the Interagency Workshop on Updating the Integrated Air Quality Improvement Framework (IAQIF) –National Air Quality Control Action Plan that further described in detail the DENR Administrative Order (DAO) 2000-82 on 13 November 2023 as part of the pre-event of the Better Air Quality (BAQ) Conference 2023 at Asian Development Bank (ADB), Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City. The workshop became a venue for the government agencies and other stakeholders to assess the achievements, directions, and essential strategies to effectively implement the Philippine Clean Air Act (RA 8749).

Engr. Marcelino N. Rivera, OIC-Chief-Environmental Quality Management Division (EQMD), began his opening remarks through elaboration of the elements, process and overview of the existing Air Quality Management Framework and shared his insights on the continuous development of the IAQIF in the country.

Engr. Jundy T. Del Socorro, Chief-Air Quality Management Section (AQMS), also explained the Air Quality in the Philippines and highlighted the cause and actions taken on the recent events happened involving Volcanic Smog (VOG) and evident haze and smog which were mainly observed in the metro. Moreover, he described Air Quality and National Air Quality Control Action Plan in DAO 2000-82, providing context on the status of air pollution in the country and its sources.

Dr. Mylene G. Cayetano, Professor and UP Scientist – UP Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (UP-IESM), tackled and comprehensively discussed the Updates and status on the Development of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAZAP) and highlights the existence of Black Carbon analysis of which Philippines is the first ever country to conduct this matter. She also imparted the updates on the development of PM10 Guideline Values and shared continuous improvement and consultation to Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Regional Offices regarding PM2.5 updates on the development of the same.

In the workshop proper, sessions were participated by government agencies, stakeholders and industry representatives in four break out groups ;(1) Stationary; (2) Area ; (3) Mobile and; (4)Crosscutting sources of air pollution. This activity was followed by presentations of assigned group members from Department of Transportation (DOTr) , Land Transportation Office (LTO), Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) , Department of Energy (DOE), Cement Industry, Non-Government Offices (NGOs), academes and other stakeholders.

Participants shared their clean air activities and targets in achieving the primary objective of the workshop in updating the NAQCAP and its framework consistent with the Philippine updated 10-year Clean Air Roadmap.

As the workshop draws to a close, Engr. Del Socorro thanked everyone for their comments, which will be very helpful in upgrading the National Air Quality Action Plan and its framework as he moves forward and synthesizes.

To cap off the workshop, as Engr. Rivera shared his closing remarks on this activity, he also expressed his gratitude to the efforts of every government agency, NGOs, stakeholders, industries and with the academe in the conduct of these comprehensive workshop on the updating of our National Integrated Air Quality Improvement Framework – National Air Quality Control Action Plan and outcomes of the workshop that will be used and beneficial to update policies and improve even more its implementation in the country.