In light of a newspaper report claiming Iloilo City would be the next locality to be named a “Clean Air City” by the Coalition of Clean Air Advocates of the Philippines (CCAAP), Mayor Jose Espinosa III responded with the reasons why he believes his city is worthy of the title.

“We already have a lot of useful environmental programs that made us qualified,” he affirmed.

The mayor noted, during his time as a city councilor, he authored Perimeter Boundary Ordinance 2013, which regulated the entry of public utility vehicles, cargo vans, and buses in Iloilo.

He claimed the ordinance has resulted in a “substantial reduction of nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxide, and particulate matter.”

Meanwhile, City Environment and Natural Resources Officer, Engr. Noel Hechanova, noted, “We are the only city with complete emission inventory, both for air pollutants and greenhouse gas, [and] we are one of the few cities with [a] Clean Air Plan and Greenhouse Reduction Plan.”

Earlier this month, Espinosa said he is considering solar-powered streetlights for the city.

“We are currently studying the possibility of using solar energy for our streetlights that are located in barangays,” he said./PLL, WDJ