I took a deep breath and all was clear. What heaven….a respite I have learned to live in the moment with, knowing this would change to congestion, with me and my asthma trying to get one over each other.

This is why a conscious choice has emerged in my lifestyle of going after fresh air –escaping weekends either to the salty sea breeze or the crisp clean mountain air of a rainforest. Truly, I feel so blessed to have these options.

I recently spent a relaxed weekend with two friends who both, like me, have asthma. And how healing it was just to breathe in the sea air. My rescue inhaler was tucked away (thankfully) for a couple of days and my lungs were so clear.

But back to the city, in a mere five hours, I was coughing and wheezing again, and it was clear the ball was in asthma’s court. And for the next couple of work days, in the heart of the concrete beast, I just manage by chronic respiratory issue. I move between meetings in airconditioned rooms and the weight of hurried lives, and at home, open windows to let in air that hang thick with the sighs of exhaust. Oh, I thought, if we could but live forever in green spaces!!! No wonder we find real estate away from the city and closer to nature booming. Plus hybrid-work from anywhere green and clean is also such a possible option being taken by many nowadays.

At least every three of people I know around me suffer from asthma. I find that as of recent reports (2023–2024), Metro Manila continues to face significant air pollution challenges, primarily due to vehicle emissions, industrial activities and construction dust, with particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) levels frequently exceeding the World Health Organization’s (WHO) safe limits.

Data studies from the Department of Health (DOH) has also shown how, in the past five years, rising air pollution levels in Metro Manila have been linked to an increase in asthma and respiratory ailments, particularly among children, the elderly and low-income communities living near high-traffic and industrial zones. Hospital admissions have also risen because of asthma, bronchitis, and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) spiking during peak pollution periods.