Baguio air is among the dirtiest in the country

The relatively cool air in the nation's summer capital may not necessarily be clean.

 

Baguio City has topped a list of Philippine cities with the most polluted air, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) study.

 

A report on "24 Oras" cited data from the WHO study setting the guideline limit at 10 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic meter.

 

Of the Philippine cities included in the study, Baguio City was the most pollution-prone with 49 micrograms per cubic meter of air.

 

Manila and Cebu came in second and third with 22 micrograms per cubic meter each.

 

The "24 Oras" report said the study found air pollution had worsened in 1,600 cities around the world.

 

It said this was partly due to more people using vehicles, adding this meant a higher risk of getting cancer, stroke or heart disease.

 

At least seven million people may have died from air pollution in 2012, the report said.

 

With the study showing health risks caused by air pollution, the WHO called for greater awareness of health risks caused by air pollution.

 

It also called for more effective air pollution mitigation policies and close monitoring of the situation in cities worldwide. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News