Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 5) — Greenpeace Philippines is recommending that the employers continue embracing flexible work arrangements to keep the air quality in Metro Manila from declining, its campaigner said Friday.
These include a remote work setup and a ‘staggered work shift’, Rhea Jane Pescador-Mallari told CNN Philippines’ New Day.
The environment group also suggests a ‘people-centric urban design,’ which could encourage people to walk, ride a bike and use other alternatives to driving a car.
“There’s a need for the immediate green and just recovery measures. So we recommend recovery efforts that prioritize clean energy sources, clean transportation option and enhanced micro mobility around cities,” Pescador-Mallari said.
On June 3, Greenpeace released a report showing that air pollution levels have been on a ‘steady increase’ since mid-May, with the government easing restrictions on travel and other economic activities.
This was after the “the metro’s overall air quality improved” under a strict quarantine policy for two months, with Quezon City and Manila seeing the highest air pollution level reductions among the major cities in the metropolis, Greenpeace said.
Pescador-Mallari said they started noting a drop in Metro Manila’s air quality when it entered modified enhanced community quarantine on May 16.
She then warned that since the metropolis entered a more relaxed general community quarantine on June 1, “a return to smog and pollution level prior to the enhanced community quarantine may not be far behind.”
