CHEMICAL ENGINEERING TRANSACTIONS VOL. 63, 2018 A publication of The Italian Association of Chemical Engineering Online at www.aidic.it/cet Guest Editors: Jeng Shiun Lim, Wai Shin Ho, Jiří J. Klemeš Copyright © 2018, AIDIC Servizi S.r.l. ISBN 978-88-95608-61-7; ISSN 2283-9216 “Bantay Tambutso” Project Implementation for Reducing Air Pollution: The DMMMSU-NLUC, Philippines Experience Desiree A. Vilar*, Leonora E. Ngilangil, Jacklyn C. Andrada, Jomar J. Lucena Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, Bacnotan, La Union, Philippines desavilar25@gmail.com Air pollution is one of the most serious environmental problems resulting from rapid industrialisation and increasing number of vehicles. To reduce air pollution in the school premises, the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University-North La Union Campus (DMMMSU-NLUC) adopted the “Bantay Tambutso” Project of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). This promotes massive awareness to curb air pollution from vehicle emissions. This project is implemented through field testing with the technical personnel from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the extension workers. This project was carried out through the conduct of random stationary emission testing of the public, private and government vehicles in the school campus. This conduct aimed to check whether drivers and owners of motor vehicles are exercising proper and regular engine tune-up to prevent smoke belching and to check the compliance with the standards set forth under the Clean Air Act. Based on the random emission testing conducted, only 4 % and 7 % of the gasoline-fueled and diesel-fueled vehicles, failed the emission standards. Those who failed were suspended in using their vehicles until their vehicles compliance with the emission standards. This project was supplemented by other school programs to reduce or prevent air pollution in the school premises. 1. Introduction One of the most challenging problems in today’s generation is environmental pollution and one of the most serious environmental problems is air pollution. Air pollution is defined as the presence of chemicals in the atmosphere in quantities and duration that are harmful to human health and the environment. It occurs when the concentration of certain substances become high enough to cause the atmospheric environment to become toxic (Gadi et al., 2012). Air pollution can be resulted from both natural and human activities. Natural events that pollute the air include forest fires, volcanic eruptions, wind erosion, pollen dispersal, evaporation of organic compounds and natural radioactivity. Pollution from natural sources is not very often. On the other hand, human activities that result in air pollution include emissions from industries and manufacturing activities, and burning of fossil fuels. Waste incinerators, manufacturing industries and power plants emit high levels of carbon monoxide, organic compounds, and chemicals into the air. Petroleum refineries also release lots of hydrocarbons into the air. Similarly, cars and heavy duty trucks, trains, shipping vessels and airplanes all burn lots of fossil fuels to work. Emissions from automobile engines contain both primary and secondary pollutants. This make it difficult to manage air pollution because humans rely heavily on vehicles and engines for transporting people, goods and services (eSchooltoday, 2017). Carbon monoxide is the main pollutant that is warming the Earth. Though living organisms emit carbon dioxide when breathing, carbon dioxide is widely considered to be a pollutant when associated with cars, planes, power plants, and other human activities that involve the burning of fossil fuels such as gasoline and natural gas (National Geographic Partners, 2017). In the Philippines, air pollution is among the main problems in highly populated cities and urban centers through fuel combustion in the industrial and transportation sector. In 2009 National State of the Brown Environment Report, it was reported that 65 % of air pollutants are from mobile sources such as cars, motorcycles, trucks and buses (Pedrosa, 2016). Air pollution is the most crucial from the point of human health. Every human being inhales about 15 - 22 kg of air daily and if that air is polluted, human health is easily affected. Exposures to emissions of lead, mercury, DOI: 10.3303/CET1863017 Please cite this article as: Desiree A. Vilar, Leonora E. Ngilangil, Jacklyn C. Andrada, Jomar J. Lucena, 2018, “bantay tambutso” project implementation for reducing air pollution: the dmmmsu-nluc, philippines experience, Chemical Engineering Transactions, 63, 97-102 DOI:10.3303/CET1863017 97