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Philippines
History and Objectives
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)/Philippines Mission and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the IES-Philippines project in February 2003. The project focused on identifying and analyzing alternative transportation measures for Metro Manila that would reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve air quality and public health. The goal was to provide policymakers and other stakeholders with quantified data on the health, environmental, and economic impacts of selected measures in the transportation sector, and to build support and capacity for integrated policy analysis.
Transportation is a significant concern in Metro Manila, where the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) estimates that 9.4 million people live, in 12 cities. IES-Philippines supported and enhanced existing efforts by providing analysis to guide decision-making for the transportation sectors.
In November 2002, key government officials from the national Department of Energy, Department of Health, Department of Transportation, and the MMDA held pre-scoping meetings in Manila to develop project objectives. The group also consulted with the Partnership for Clean Air, the Asian Development Bank, and local non-governmental organizations.
In addition, leaders held a policymakers' workshop in Manila in December 2003, reporting provisional results and recommendations, and the team finalized a final report in early 2005.
The objectives of the project were to:
- Provide estimates of the public health, environmental, and economic impacts of selected integrated transportation sector measures.
- Engage policymakers and other key stakeholders in a discussion of the benefits of an integrated approach to addressing environmental problems.
- Strengthen the methodologies used for multidisciplinary policy analysis, with particular emphasis on improving health effects analysis.
- Build capacity in the Philippines for multidisciplinary policy analysis.
Team
A team of local researchers from many institutions conducted the IES analysis. The Manila Observatory, located at Ateneo de Manila University, coordinated IES-Philippines project activities. Researchers from the University of Philippines College of Public Health and other institutions also participated in the research team. The USAID/Philippines Mission convened an IES Review Committee, comprised of key officials from relevant government agencies, to offer guidance and feedback to the IES project team.
Methodology
The IES-Philippines project focused on estimating the co-benefits of alternative transportation scenarios. Alternative scenarios considered in IES analysis included:
- Introduction of alternative fuels, including compressed natural gas and biodiesel (especially fuel derived from coconuts, a locally grown crop).
- Vehicle standards, such as enhanced emissions testing and tighter controls on imports of second-hand engines.
- Public transportation measures such as expanded metrorail service and finding alternatives to jeepneys and tricycles.
- Land use changes, including the designation of pedestrian-only zones and the creation of bicycles lanes.
- A combination of all the policies assessed.
The IES analysis evaluated the impacts of these alternative measures, as well as of a “business as usual” scenario on air quality, public health, and GHG emissions. The analysis focused particular attention on improving the methodologies and approaches used in estimating public health impacts, as this is a topic of increasing interest in public discourse in the Philippines.
Study Results
The IES team presented preliminary findings of the IES-Philippines project to senior local and national policymakers and other stakeholders in early 2004, raising awareness of the analysis and recommendations.
The team released the IES-Philippines final report (PDF) (118 pp, 4.3MB, About PDF) in June 2005, containing results of the IES analysis and the team’s recommendations. In comparison to the “business as usual” scenario, the policies recommended would have a substantial impact on local air quality and emissions of GHGs. The figures below show the projected decrease in local particulate matter concentrations for Metro Manila if all the recommended policies are adopted.
Calculated particulate concentrations in µg/Ncm for the 2005 baseline (left - Maximum: 105.7, Average: 12.4), 2015 BAU (middle - Maximum: 154.2, Average: 15.8), and 2015 combination of policies (right - Maximum: 34.9, Average: 5.5). Dark green is the lowest concentration (0 µg/Ncm), yellow is 25 µg/Ncm, orange-red is 50 µg/Ncm, red-purple is 75 µg/Ncm and purple is 100+ µg/Ncm.
If all the recommended policies are adopted, the IES team estimated that in 2015, 590 deaths; 36,039 asthma attacks; and 222 hospital visits could be averted, saving an estimated U.S. $2.813 billion in medical fees. The team also estimated that by 2015, there would be a 53 percent reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in comparison to the BAU scenario, more than half from the implementation of a motor vehicle inspection system. All of these calculations only take into account Metro Manila. If the policies were adopted in other cities, the national savings would be greater.
Outcomes
The IES-Philippines report has generated interest from numerous organizations including the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and USAID. DOE’s Clean Cities program and USAID’s Energy and Clean Air project are pursuing some of the policies analyzed in the report. By integrating approaches to air pollution and GHGs, countries can improve local air quality, leading to fewer hospital visits, and decrease their emissions of CO2 and other GHGs..
Documents
Contains documents generated through the IES-Philippines analysis.
Links
Manila Observatory (MO) 
MO is the lead in-country partner for the IES-Philippines work. Its research areas include urban air quality, regional climate systems, socio-environmental geomatics, solid earth dynamics, and iono-geomagnetic studies. By using its scientific expertise, the observatory is able to conduct air quality monitoring and modeling, emissions inventories, renewable energy resource assessments (wind, solar, water), disaster vulnerability evaluations, high-resolution population mapping, land use mapping and classification, training, and project development and management.
KLIMA Climate Change Center
KLIMA, an arm of the Manila Observatory in the Philippines, provides the fastest-growing region in the world, East Asia, with information and resources on climate science and impacts, adaptation, mitigation, and climate policy. It aims to raise public awareness, conduct relevant research, serve as a clearinghouse of climate-critical information, and train people and institutions through activities that stimulate hands-on learning on climate change issues.