The Clean Air for Sustainable ASEAN (CASA) project reached a key milestone with the handover of the Air Quality Monitoring System (AQMS) and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the Philippines. The event took place on 26 September 2025 at Midas Hotel in Manila, the Philippines with the participation of high-level officials, including representatives from ROK Embassy in the Philippines and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB).  

The MOU was signed by DENR’s Assistant Secretary and EMB Director Jacqueline Caancan and Professor Kiyoung Lee from Seoul National University who also serves CASA project’s principal investigator.  

“By bringing together scientific research and international teamwork, the CASA project, a partnership between the EMB and the Seoul National University, will create better data and monitoring systems, laying the groundwork for smarter, evidence-based policies,” said Director Jacqueline Caancan. 

Two state-of-the-art AQMS units will be installed at the air quality monitoring stations in Pasay City and Quezon City. These units will expand the Philippines’ air quality monitoring capacity by providing real-time data linked to national and regional air quality monitoring platforms, reinforcing the country’s commitment to protect public health and promote sustainable air quality management. Each unit is equipped to measure PM2.5 and O3.