VOL. 9 ISSUE 189 • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2016
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THE BOY, THE DOG AND THE SEA. A boy drags his dog onto the water to join him for a morning dip at the beachfront at Sta. Ana Port in Davao City yesterday. Lean Daval. Jr.
DAVAO CITY’S AIR QUALITY SAFE By TIZIANA CELINE S. PIATOS
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AVAO City remains pretty much a safe zone in terms of the quality of air that its population is exposed to, an official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said. Engr. Melvin M. Dapitanon, a member of the Clean Air Board attributed this to a quality air index derived from the current air pollution condition of the city through conduction emission inventories. “We can determine through emission inventories which sources from the city has the biggest chunk on creating air pollution in the city,” he said. Dapitanon added that the trend of the air quality index is based from suspended particulate matter (pm) or micro-
gram per normal cubic meter (ncm) in the city is good and fair. Particulate matter is defined as any type of solid particles in the air in the form of smoke, dust and vapors. Virgilio M. Sangutan, president of the Davao Inventors Association, said that those particular matters are produced by sources such as burning of diesel fuels by vehicles, fossil fuels, road construction, industrial processes and operation of woodstoves. “Some microscopic particles in the air can be breathed into the lungs causing increased respiratory disease and lung damage,” Sangutan pointed out. When the air quality index is fair or has reached pm2.5,
small particles are present that endangers the health because these particles travel deeper into the lungs through the smaller airways. “These are the ones that enter our lungs,” Sangutan said. Dapitanon also added that when the air is good, the measure per particulate matter is within pm10 to pm2.5. However, Dapitanon noted that when the level reaches pm2.5, precautionary measures must be observed by people with respiratory and heart problems. If measured microgram per normal cubic meter (ncm), Dapitanon said 0 to 54ncm is good; 55 to 154 is fair and 155 to 254 has unhealthy components.
National Clean Air Month Local inventions that help reduce air pollution will be shown in an exhibit slated on Nov. 15 to 17 at the Sangguniang Panlungsod Building, Davao City in observance of the National Clean Air Month. Sangutan said the event aims to promote awareness and educate the public to use electronic devices that contribute less pollution in the air. “If we don’t take actions or make solution for this growing pollution – these may become our problem and we will go out on our houses with mask,” he said. Sangutan added that 16 inventors will showcase their inventions like smoke catchers and electric tricycles made
FDAVAO, 10
Lifestyle check on BOC execs ordered By ALEXANDER D. LOPEZ
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adlopez0920@gmail.com
XECUTIVES of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) will have their lifestyles checked as part of the over-all in-house reforms that the Department of Finance (DOF) is implementing, including to its attached agencies and bureaus. The lifestyle check was ordered by Secretary Carlos Dominguez III who said a forensic analysis of data, including the possible opening of bank accounts linked to fraudulent or corrupt activities will also be included in
the move. In a statement to the media on Monday, DOF said the order is also part of the Duterte administration’s ongoing efforts to rid the agency of graft and corruption. “Relaxing the country’s bank secrecy law as a way to flush out corrupt government officials as well as tax dodgers in the private sector is one of the proposals that the agency plans to submit to the Congress,” the statement said.
FLIFESTYLE, 10