MANILA - Protesters led by the consumer group Power for People Coalition (P4P) held a protest in front of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Quezon City on Thursday to push for action against air pollution and a probe into coal plants.

The protest comes days ahead of the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies on September 7.

The group filed a letter-complaint asking the DENR to act on "weak" air quality readings below those allowed by its standards under the Clean Air Act.

"The standards set by the DENR on air pollution are deficient compared to those set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the United States. Yet air quality in these areas still fails to meet these already lower standards," Gerry Arances, Convenor of P4P, said in a statement.

An air quality study conducted by the think-tank Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED) showed that PM2.5 and PM10 particulates in areas host to coal power plants in Quezon and Sarangani are above levels allowed under the DENR's National Ambient Air Quality Guideline Values.

The situation in these areas fares even worse when compared to more stringent international standards, the group said.

Over 66,000 Filipinos died of air pollution back in 2019, they added.

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The groups urged the DENR to take action to ensure that no other additional sources of pollution are introduced into these areas.

"We are calling on DENR to comply with the Clean Air Act and declare these municipalities 'non-attainment areas.' Allowing the air breathed by communities in Quezon, Sarangani, and other affected areas to deteriorate even further is unacceptable," Arances added.