Mayor says WHO exec denies ‘ dirty air ’ yarnby Harley Palangchao Mayor Mauricio Domogan clarified Thursday that the World Health Organization said it did not come out with a conclusion that Baguio has the dirtiest urban air in the entire country as cited in recent media reports . “ We need to clarify that we are not blaming WHO over recent media reports because we know that the survey has no conclusive part or that WHO cited Baguio as the most polluted city , ” Domogan said . The mayor also cited an email conversation between a Baguio resident and WHO Department of Communications official Glenn Thomas , who clarified the international agency did not make any conclusion over the report . “ WHO would like to clarify that the comments that ‘ Baguio City is the most polluted city in the Philippines ’ has no basis and is not the conclusion of WHO , ” Thomas said in the email . He said WHO merely released the global report on air quality covering 1 , 600 cities across 91 countries . This report concluded that air quality in most cities worldwide that monitor ambient ( outdoor ) air pollution fail to meet WHO guidelines for safe levels . WHO made a disclaimer that the data are not necessarily the official statistics of member - states and the responsibility for the interpretation and use of the materials lies with the user and WHO , in no event , should be made liable for any damage that may arise from the use of the data . This means it was the media that interpreted the WHO report , making Baguio the dirtiest even if other urban areas were not included in the survey . In its air quality report on selected cities worldwide based on Ambient Air Database released this month , the WHO survey showed Baguio has a particulate matter ( PM 2 . 5 ) of 49 micrograms per cubic meter ( µ g / m 3 ) while Manila and Cebu posted 22 µ g / m 3 each . In terms of PM 10 , Baguio also posted 107 while Cebu has PM 10 of 47 or slightly lower than Manila ’ s 49 . The basis of the WHO survey for three cities in the country were data taken in 2010 by the Environment Management Bureau while the data in other cities worldwide were taken in 2009 , 2010 , 2011 , and 2012 . PM 2 . 5 is a fine particle found in smoke and haze , and can be directly emitted from sources such as forest fires or can form when gases emitted from power plants , industries , and vehicles react in the air . PM 10 , on the other hand , is considered more harmful to human health as its finer particles when inhaled can penetrate the lungs , leading to more severe pulmonary or respiratory illnesses . In March 2013 , the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has adopted PM 2 . 5 as the measuring standard in determining the level of air pollution being breathed . Earlier , experts said it is natural that Baguio ’ s level of pollution is higher when recorded within 24 hours because of its elevation compared to Cebu , Manila , and other highly - urbanized cities . The cool weather will make the particulate matter dissipate in the air slower than usual . The machine used to measure the level of pollution within the central business district is located at Km . 0 in front of the Maharlika Livelihood Complex . Several years ago , the Department of Transportation and Communication said bulk of the maximum 35 , 000 vehicles that come in and out of Baguio daily traverse the CBD , but the city still maintained “ good to fair ” air quality . While the WHO report is isolated within the CBD , Domogan said efforts are undertaken by concerned government agencies led by the DENR to improve the ambient air quality not only at the main thoroughfares but in the whole city . A BLISTT Airshed technical working group was formed to review and proposed policies to improve the ambient air quality in Baguio and outlying towns of Benguet .