Andrie Hans Jones 

The University of the Philippines (UP) has developed low-budget engineering simulation tools to study how pollutants move around in enclosed spaces, aiming to improve the country's air quality. 

Photo Courtesy of UP MPRO/Jonathan Madrid.

During the round table discussion (RTD) on July 9 at the National Engineering Center, UP Center for Air Research in Urban Environment (UP CARE) Project 4 leader Dr. Julius Rhoan Lustro noted that the initiative aims to “make air quality visible” and accessible by employing low-cost sensors and software applications. 

With the support of the project, researchers, state regulators, local government units (LGUs), and the general public will be provided access to air quality monitoring technologies.

Dr. John Richard Hizon, program leader of UP CARE, explained that the tool was developed in response to the limited availability and high cost of existing air quality monitoring technologies in the Philippines.

Hizon revealed that his team, in collaboration with the LGUs, has already deployed and installed a total of 36 sensors across the country. 

According to Vanessa Claire Vinarao, acting chief of the climate change mitigation division of the city government’s Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department, data from the sensors can serve as a reliable basis for local decisions, such as school suspensions based on air quality levels.

Engr. Geomari De Guzman, assistant manager for consulting sales at Daikin Airconditioning Philippines, Inc., expressed the company’s interest in collaborating with UP CARE to develop further solutions focused on indoor air quality management.

Funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), UP CARE is an interdisciplinary research program that provides a platform for real-time air quality monitoring using cost-effective customized technologies.

The said event also served as a platform for academic institutions, government agencies, local government units, and the private sector to exchange insights on the current state of air quality monitoring and emerging innovations in the Philippines.