MANDALUYONG CITY 28, APRIL 2025 – Climate advocates from 350 Pilipinas held their second creative protest action for Life in a Bubble, featuring Mercedes Cabral, internationally acclaimed Filipino actress known for her standout roles in Cannes-selected films. Her performance highlighted the urgency of air pollution, underscoring the stark reality that the majority of Filipinos remain vulnerable under outdated Philippine air quality standards. Through performance art, she portrayed a wealthy shopper staged in a high-traffic public space.
Acclaimed Filipino Actress, Mercedes Cabral Joins Climate Advocates in Urgent Call to Clean the Air. Photo: Leo M. Sabangan II
The action drew attention to Metro Manila’s ongoing air pollution crisis—largely driven by traffic emissions, fossil fuel, and unchecked industrial activity. While the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) reports a slight dip in particulate matter levels (PM10 down from 43 to 40 µg/ncm; PM2.5 down from 23 to 20 µg/ncm), these figures still exceed World Health Organization safety limits, underscoring the urgency of government action.
It’s been 25 years since the Clean Air Act was passed, but our standards haven’t kept pace with science,” said Ara Alejo, Clean Air Campaigner for 350 Pilipinas. “The right to clean air shouldn’t depend on your income or zip code. We call on the DENR to lead boldly and update our air quality policies to reflect today’s realities.”
“Air pollution may be invisible, but its impacts are not,” added Jheny Dabu, Sustainable Transport Campaigner. “With the transport sector responsible for around 80% of air pollution in Metro Manila, we urgently need clean, people-centered mobility solutions.”
The two-part performance campaign began on April 25, 2025, in Manila City with renowned Filipino actor Soliman Cruz, who performed as business executive walking around Rizal Park, opening a discourse on the current state of air quality among the public. The campaign aimed to mobilize public support and urge the DENR to fast track and ensure the implementation of its administrative order (DAO).
In the centerpiece of the two creative actions, actors are enclosed in an 8-foot transparent bubble—symbolizing the privileged few able to shield themselves from toxic air—while others surrounding the bubble, exposed and forgotten. The performance laid bare the socio-economic divide in air pollution’s environmental and social impact and called on the DENR to take decisive action: update national air quality standards, fully implement the Clean Air Act, and restore real-time air monitoring capacity.
#Streets4People | #OurRightToBreathe | Join with us in campaigning for the updating of Philippine air quality standards
Ara Alejo, Clean Air Campaigner, 350 Pilipinas
“It’s been 25 years since the Clean Air Act was passed, but our standards haven’t kept pace with science. The right to clean air shouldn’t depend on your income or zip code. We call on the DENR to lead boldly and update our air quality policies to reflect today’s realities.”
Jheny Dabu, Sustainable Transport Campaigner for 350 Pilipinas.
“Air pollution may be invisible, but its impacts are not. The Philippine Clean Air Act, passed in 1999, was a landmark law meant to safeguard our right to breathe. But laws must evolve with the times—they’re meant to be living instruments, not static relics. As we mark its 25th anniversary, we honor its legacy by pushing for urgent updates that align with current science and WHO standards. With the transport sector responsible for around 80% of air pollution in Metro Manila, transitioning to clean, people-centered mobility isn’t just climate action—it’s public health advocacy and a step toward a healthier future for all Filipinos.”
Melody Melo-Rijk, Regional Climate and Health Manager, Health Care Without Harm Southeast Asia.
“Health Care Without Harm Southeast Asia recognizes that clean air is crucial to preserving public health. We strongly support the immediate call to revise the Philippine air quality standards and align with the World Health Organization’s recommendations. Now more than ever, stronger standards are essential to avoid pollution-related diseases and progress environmental health equity. We at HCWH SEA will continue to advocate for initiatives that support the healthcare sector in protecting our communities here in the Philippines and across Southeast Asia.”
Golda Hilario, Southeast Asia Coordinator, Clean Mobility Collective
“We all live outside the bubble of clean air, breathing in pollution from vehicle emissions that harms our environment and our health. This toxic air affects us all, but it is our children, the elderly, and the most vulnerable who suffer the most. Acting to improve the air we breathe offers a crucial opportunity to inspire a movement that transforms our streets, prioritises sustainable and accessible transport, and ensures that clean air is a right for everyone, regardless of their location or circumstances”
Chuck Baclagon, Regional Finance Campaigner, 350.org Asia
“Across Asia—where rapid urbanization collides with outdated policies and deepening inequality—clean air has become a luxury, not a right.Metro Manila’s smog is just one snapshot of a continent where outdated laws, dirty transport, and inequality collide in the very air we breathe. From Jakarta to Delhi, cities are being slowly poisoned by traffic fumes, industrial emissions, and years of environmental neglect. This is about more than the climate—it’s about fairness, dignity, and survival. If Asia is to have a livable future, we need bold, science-driven action that puts people—not pollution—at the heart of policy.”
About the Organizers:
350 Pilipinas is an advocacy organization working for climate action that is based on the realities of science, and grounded on the principles of justice.
The Clean Mobility Collective (CMC) is a network working to address the growing emissions and public health crisis from the global transport sector.
Media Contact: Nadia Cruz / [email protected]