Manila, Aug. 18 -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is pushing for a stricter emission control to sustain air quality improvement in 2024.

Citing a report by its Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), the agency, in a press release Monday, cited significant reductions in harmful particulate matter levels nationwide last year.

EMB monitoring showed that concentrations of Particulate Matter 10 (PM10) in Metro Manila dropped by 17.4 percent, from 46 micrograms per normal cubic meter (/ncm) in 2016 to 38 n 2024.

PM10 levels fell by 28.2 percent across the country, averaging 28 ncm, way below the 60 /ncm ceiling set under the national air quality guideline, it showed. Meanwhile, finer pollutants, known as PM2.5, al...