CEBU, Philippines — At least 40 modern jeepneys will travel Cebu City’s roads starting tomorrow.

The modern jeepneys will ply two routes with a P8 fare and an additional P1 for every succeeding kilometer.

The two routes are Cebu City Hall-Asia Town I.T. Park via Robinsons Galleria Cebu-Cebu Business Park and vice versa, and R. Duterte St.-Sykes via
Happy Valley-Fuente Osmeña-Ramos St.-D. Jakosalem St.-Cebu Business Park and vice versa.

The Department of Transportation Office and the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board launched the jeepneys yesterday in partnership
with Persano Corporation.

How modern?

Owned by Persano Corporation, the 40 modern jeepneys are air-conditioned and has wifi, GPS, CCTV, automated fare system, and individualized chairs.

It costs P2.6 million and can carry 32 passengers.

Local transport cooperative CITRASCO will manage, operate, and dispatch the units.

"This transport modernization is a big help among our commuters and this will greatly reduce our traffic. Our city streets is so traffic because of
inefficient system," said Victor Caindec, regional director of the Land Transportation Office-7.

LTFRB-7 Director Eduardo Montealto said one franchise is allowed to operate only one route.

"Sa pagkakaron man gud, daghan kaayong franchise ang mag-operate sa usa ka ruta. With the modernization, usa ka franchise na lang ang mo-operate
sa usa ka ruta," Montealto said.

More units

Atty. Vigor Mendoza, chairman of Persano Corporation, said they intend to add 60 more units for Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City this year.

The modernized jeepneys are part of DOTr and the Duterte administration's effort in modernizing the public transport system in the country.

"We are not just changing the units but we are changing public transport system for efficient and convenience of the riding public," said LTFRB
Chairman Martin Delgra.

CITRASCO Chairman Jericho Jumapao said a meeting today will finalize the jeepneys’ operations, particularly the dry run, considering that passengers
can ride the jeepneys for free during this period.

"We are looking at for at least two days dry run unya libre ang sakay ani while we are waiting for the fare matrix from the LTFRB," Jumapao said.

Delgra said that CITRASCO, under their newly-issued circular, is allowed to collect 20 percent higher than the existing minimum jeepney fare and its
succeeding kilometer.

Read more at https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/cebu-news/2018/11/27/1872160/modern-jeepneys-hit-cebu-city-

streets#ogpez2UHh59W61UD.99

The e-jeepney’s fully-charged battery consumes 26 kilowatts of electricity that translates to approximately P276 on the electric bill, based on the
research conducted by Las Piñas-based Star 8 Green, which supplies the also solar-powered e-jeepney.

With the number of vehicles roaming on the streets around the world, who is there to monitor the toxins being emitted out in the air? Good

thing, the European Union (EU) made the Euro emission standards to limit the amount of harmful chemicals that spreads in the air.

If you're wondering what it means and why we need it, just think about the chemicals being emitted by millions of vehicles across the entire

planet. These chemicals pollute the air that all humans and animals, including plants, breathe; more pollutants simply means health problems,

and more health problems could possibly lead to increased mortality rate.
 What does European emission standards mean?

Basically, the Euro emission standards seek to limit the vehicle’s toxic gas in hopes to attain a cleaner, breathable air. The 1st Euro level (Euro

1) was introduced in 1992 as an initiative by the EU to regulate and standardize the amount of carbon monoxide (CO) and other poisonous

chemicals being emitted by motor vehicles.

Currently, there are 6 levels of Euro emission standards adopted in different parts of the world. The latest, Euro 6, was introduced in

September 2014 – 22 years after the 1st emission level came out.

The highest Euro level only permits CO emission of 1.0g/km for gasoline and 0.5g/km for diesel. It is focused more on lowering the Nitrogen

Oxide (NOx), which is also harmful to humans, as well as to animals.

Current Euro level in the Philippines

The Philippines is now following Euro 4 emission standard. To put things in perspective, North America and Europe have implemented Euro 3

in 2005. Clearly, we are behind when it comes to emission standard, which could be attributed to the country’s lack of resources.

Of note, the Philippines’ Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) pushed for the implementation of the Euro 4 compliance

in July 2015. However, a number of local oil companies and automotive manufactures stressed out that they prefer to follow the original

timeline set by the Department of Energy (DOE), which is January 2016.

Related: EVAP ready to help PH government’s Jeepney Modernization Program

The upgrade from Euro 2 to Euro 4 reduces the toxic sulfur that comes out of the combustion engine by 450 parts per million (ppm), both on

diesel and gasoline. Benzene, which is also considered harmful to humans, was also cut off by 4%. Standard CO emission permitted by Euro 4

on gasoline is 1.0g/km, while it's 0.5g/km for the diesel.

The local implementation of Euro 4 limit falls under the "Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999," which requires vehicles with Euro 4 fuel to comply

with the standards issued by the DENR.

These are significant differences in terms of nature preservation, as well as for our wellness. Without the Euro 4 emission standard, the

presence of pollutants from vehicles emitted to the air would result to foggy visibility, acidic bodies of water, unhealthy vegetation, poor

aquatic life, and corrosion of natural and man-made structures (metal, marble, among others).

While the effects on the environment are disturbing, the causes on our health is much worse. This is because these chemicals target and impair

the respiratory system, specifically the lungs. Compromised lung function may lead to bronchitis, asthma, and other respiratory and

cardiovascular illnesses, which may result to more serious conditions.

 It’s an open secret that climate change is real and is already happening. The Philippines may be behind when it comes to the level of emission

standard but, Euro 4 is surely way better than Euro 2.

What is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon monoxide, or “CO,” is an odorless, colorless gas that can kill you.

Carbon monoxide detector

Where is CO found?
CO is found in fumes produced any time you burn fuel in cars or trucks, small engines, stoves, lanterns, grills, fireplaces, gas ranges, or furnaces. CO can
build up indoors and poison people and animals who breathe it.

What are the symptoms of CO poisoning?

The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. CO symptoms are
often described as “flu-like.” If you breathe in a lot of CO it can make you pass out or kill you. People who are sleeping or drunk can die from CO
poisoning before they have symptoms.

Who is at risk from CO poisoning?

Everyone is at risk for CO poisoning. Infants, the elderly, people with chronic heart disease, anemia, or breathing problems are more likely to get sick
from CO. Each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fires, more than 20,000 visit the emergency room, and
more than 4,000 are hospitalized.

Hydrocarbons are currently the main source of the world's electric energy and heat sources (such as home heating) because of the energy produced
when burnt.[10] Often this energy is used directly as heat such as in home heaters, which use either petroleum or natural gas. The hydrocarbon is burnt
and the heat is used to heat water, which is then circulated. A similar principle is used to create electric energy in power plants.

Hydrocarbons are organic molecules consisting entirely of carbon and hydrogen. We often use hydrocarbons in our daily lives: for instance, the
propane in a gas grill and the butane in a lighter are both hydrocarbons. They make good fuels because their covalent bonds store a large amount of
energy, which is released when the molecules are burned (i.e., when they react with oxygen to form carbon dioxide and water).

Image of a methane molecule, showing its tetrahedral shape and the bond angle of 109.5 degrees for each H-C-H unit.
Image credit: OpenStax Biology.
Methane (CH_44), the simplest hydrocarbon molecule, consists of a central carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms. The carbon and the four
hydrogen atoms form the vertices of a three-dimensional shape known as a tetrahedron, which has four triangular faces; because of this, methane is
said to have a tetrahedral geometry. More generally, when a carbon atom is bonded to four other atoms, the molecule (or part of a molecule) will take
on a tetrahedral shape similar to that of methane. This happens because the electron pairs that make up the bonds repel each other, and the shape that
maximizes their distance from each other is a tetrahedron.
Most macromolecules are not classified as hydrocarbons, because they contain other atoms in addition to carbon and hydrogen, such as nitrogen,
oxygen, and phosphorus. However, carbon chains with attached hydrogens are a key structural component of most macromolecules (even if they are
interspersed with other atoms), so understanding the properties of hydrocarbons is important to understanding the behavior of macromolecules.

Nitrogen oxides are a group of seven gases and compounds composed of nitrogen and oxygen. The two most common and hazardous nitrogen oxides
are nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide. Nitrous oxide, commonly called laughing gas, is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

Nitrogen oxides are emitted from vehicle exhaust, and the burning of coal, oil, diesel fuel, and natural gas, especially from electric power plants. They
are also emitted by cigarettes, gas stoves, kerosene heaters, wood burning, and silos that contain silage.

Nitrogen oxides react with sunlight and other chemicals to form smog. Nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide react with substances in the atmosphere to
form acid rain.

Nitrogen dioxide is used to produce rocket fuels and explosives.

Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, and during combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste. It is used as an anesthetic.

Where are Nitrogen Oxides found?

 Air – vehicle exhaust, emissions from coal-fired power plants and appliances that burn fossil fuels, cigarette smoke, and secondhand smoke
 Consumer products – cigarettes, vehicles, and home heating appliances
 Hw can I be exposed to Nitrogen Oxides?Nitrogen Oxides commonly enter(s) the body through:

Inhalation (breathing)

 Breathing emissions from coal-fired power plants, vehicles, and appliances that burn fossil fuels; smoking cigarettes; and breathing
secondhand smoke or smog

Skin contact

 Touching high concentrations of nitrogen oxide gases or liquid nitrogen dioxide

Total Hydrocarbons" is a requirement for most specifications. This term is defined by the analytical method which can only detect volatiles and some
semi-volatiles. It is therefore, a test of Total Volatile Hydrocarbons (TVHC), and does not determinehydrocarbons that are condensable (Oil Mist).

What is Particulate Matter (PM)?

o 1.1 Why does particle size matter
o 1.2 How are particles formed?
o 1.3 Which materials are the main components of particulate matter?

1.1 Why does particle size matter

The source document for this Digest states:
Airborne particulate matter represents a complex mixture of organic and inorganicsubstances. Mass and composition in urban environments tend to be
divided into two principal groups: coarse particles and fine particles. The barrier between these two fractions of particles usually lies between 1 µm and
2.5 µm. However, the limit between coarse and fine particles is sometimes fixed by convention at 2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) for
measurement purposes. The smaller particles contain the secondarily formed aerosols (gas-to-particle conversion), combustion particles and
recondensed organic and metal vapours. The larger particles usually contain earth crust materials and fugitive dust from roads and industries. The fine
fraction contains most of the acidity (hydrogen ion) and mutagenic activity of particulate matter, although in fog some coarse acid droplets are also
present. Whereas most of the mass is usually in the fine mode (particles between 100 nm and 2.5 µm), the largest number of particles is found in the
very small sizes, less than 100 nm. As anticipated from the relationship of particle volume with mass, these so-called ultrafine particles often contribute
only a few % to the mass, at the same time contributing to over 90% of the numbers.
Particulate air pollution is a mixture of solid, liquid or solid and liquid particles suspended in the air. These suspended particles vary in size,
composition and origin. It is convenient to classify particles by their aerodynamic properties because: (a) these properties govern the transport and
removal of particles from the air; (b) they also govern their deposition within the respiratory system and (c) they are associated with the chemical
composition and sources of particles. These properties are conveniently summarized by theaerodynamic diameter , that is the size of a unit-density
sphere with the same aerodynamic characteristics. Particles are sampled and described on the basis of their aerodynamic diameter, usually called
simply the particle size.