The Philippines is a densely populated Southeast Asian country made up of 7,640 islands. The islands are culturally and ecologically diverse and full of natural resources but susceptible to earthquakes and typhoons. Following territorial control by Spain, and then the United States, the Philippines became independent in 1946. Since independence, the country has become newly industrialized, transitioning from an agricultural economy to services and manufacturing economy.
Pollution in the Philippines is characterized by poor air quality and difficulties with wastewater and solid waste management. We will discuss these areas of pollution in the country more specifically in this article:
Summary of Pollution in the Philippines
According to Yale University’s Environmental Performance Index study of 2020 (EPI), the Philippines ranks at 111 in environmental pollution of 180 total countries, with a score of 38.4 of 100 possible points. Meaning the Philippines has some major pollution issues.
Download Full Report: Philippines EPI Country Profile
The Philippines ranks well below world averages in almost every metric evaluated. The country also tends to rank below regional averages for Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. The Philippines struggles in particular with poor air quality, unhealthy drinking water, and water and waste management.
Air Pollution in the Philippines
The Philippines has poor air quality that is regularly unhealthy for its residents to breathe. The EPI survey gave the Philippines a score of 30.4 in overall air quality, giving it a ranking of 123 of 180 countries. The EPI found that most air pollution in the Philippines is from emissions from household solid fuels–so, the burning of coal and wood in households.
Other causes of air pollution in the Philippines include:
- Industrial emissions
- Emissions from petroleum refining
- Vehicle emissions
- Waste burning
In fact, as of 2018, the World Health Organization found that 45.3 deaths out of every 100,000 residents per year can be attributed to poor air quality. Manila, the country’s capital, has especially poor air quality due to heavy industry in the city.
Learn more about air quality standards and measurement.
Water Pollution in the Philippines
The Philippines has major water pollution from chemical waste as well as plastic waste. Again, the main sources of water pollution in the Philippines are:
- Agricultural runoff
- Industrial runoff
- Plastic pollution
- Untreated wastewater
Of these issues, untreated wastewater and plastic pollution are two of the Philippines’ biggest issues relating to water pollution.
The Philippines’s Water Quality
Due to pollution issues, many citizens of the Philippines do not have access to safe and healthy drinking water.
Drinking Water
- Rank: 113/180
- EPI Score: 34.3/100
Wastewater Management
- Rank: 112/180
- EPI Score: 0.7/100
Poor wastewater management causes pollution that specifically impacts drinking water. Untreated wastewater poses a large threat to human health, in fact, 31% of all illnesses in the country over a five-year period were caused directly by drinking unsafe water.
Learn more about water quality standards and measurement.
Land Pollution in the Philippines
Many of the same issues that cause water pollution in the Philippines also pollute its land. Here are the main causes of land pollution in the Philippines:
- Unmanaged plastic waste
- Agricultural runoff harming the soil
- Deforestation for growing urban areas and industry
Solid Waste Management
- Ranking: 99/180
- EPI Score: 17.4/100
Ecosystem Services
- Ranking: 103/180
- EPI Score: 31.9/100
The low solid waste management score from the EPI study reveals that most of the solid waste in the Philippines is not treated properly and is instead allowed to pile up and harm ecosystems. The ecosystem services score indicates that the country has also undergone a decent amount of recent habitat loss, mostly due to expanding industry and urban areas.
Key Takeaways
Here’s the big picture of pollution in the Philippines
- Overall EPI Ranking: 111/180
- Air Pollution: Unhealthy air quality especially in urban areas due to heavy industry and household coal and wood burning.
- Air Pollution Rank: 123/180
- Water Pollution: Many residents do not have access to clean water, mostly due to a very poor wastewater management system that allows pollution to infiltrate the water supply.
- Drinking Water Rank: 113/180
- Wastewater Management Rank: 0.7/180
- Land Pollution: Good solid waste management but lots of recent habitat loss.
- Solid waste management rank: 99/180
- Ecosystem Services rank: 103/180