MANILA - Traffic in Metro Manila and other vehicular congestion-stricken areas nationwide are not only stifling mobility, but also choking people to death, warned Environment Secretary Ramon Paje.
"Traffic contributes to air pollution…Various studies link air pollution to several health problems," which could be fatal, Paje said, noting that traffic congestion quadruples travel time during peak hours, resulting in a four-fold rise in emissions from vehicles.
Emissions are "any measurable air contaminant, pollutant, gas stream, or unwanted sound from a known source which is passed into the atmosphere," according to a definition from Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Administrative Order 2010-23.
Paje said this emission surge increasingly contaminates the air so people are further drowning in a sea of health-threatening air pollutants.
"Studies show the cost of medicine and health care for air pollution-related illnesses is already about P7 billion annually," he said.