Air pollution in the Philippines is responsible for the premature deaths of at least 66,000 people every year and the loss in the country's economic growth, a joint report released by a climate think tank and a climate research organization showed.

According to the report published by Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) and Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), 6,788 people are dying annually of cardiovascular diseases while 262 of respiratory diseases. These diseases are both triggered by air pollutant Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2). Meanwhile, 5,874 people die due to all other causes triggered by the same pollutant.

The group also observed that 2,932 die every year of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; 6,788 of diabetes; 25,338 of ischaemic heart disease; 17,180 of lower respiratory infections; 2,179 of lung cancer; and 7,819 of stroke. These diseases are caused by another pollutant, PM 2.5 or Particulate Matter 2.5.

"Neglecting air pollution comes with a heavy bill in the form of increased healthcare and welfare costs, as well as loss of labor and economic productivity," said Isabella Suarez, CREA analyst and co-author of the report entitled "Aiming Higher: Benchmarking the Philippine Clean Air Act.

Aside from deaths, air pollution in the country also has health impacts. There are new cases of asthma in children as well as a rising number of low birthweight births and preterm births, the report added.

Air pollution also costs the country P4.5 trillion yearly in terms of economic loss due to work absences, medical costs, emergency room visits, lower quality of life and economic productivity of people, additional maternal and neonatal care and additional maternal and neonatal care, the report furthered.

"If this does not spell out how urgent the situation is, it’s hard to imagine what else can spur the government to truly implement the country’s Clean Air Act," warned Vince Carlo Garcia, ICSC research analyst and also a co-author of the report.

Clean Air Act is a law principally authored by Deputy Speaker and Antique Rep. Loren Legarda that contains a comprehensive air quality management policy and program which aims to achieve and maintain healthy air for all Filipinos.

Suarez is calling for the stringent implementation of the law as their report showed that although sources of mobile, stationary, and area emissions have increased since 2000, the policies that control emissions from each source have not kept up.

"Meeting the fully protective WHO (World Health Organization) Guidelines will take time but every improvement in air quality matters so we need to ensure that air pollution and emissions reductions are tied to well-defined, time-bound targets and milestones,” Suarez said.

"The COVID-19 pandemic brings more urgency to curbing air pollution... Our neglect of air quality means we remain in an emergency setting," Garcia added.