What's In

Recall in your high school mathematics about basic statistical tools and interpretation of data. Measures of position like percentiles and quartiles give a range where a certain percentage rage fall. While measures of variability represent the amount of dispersion in a data set (Frost, 2021) which includes range, interquartile range, variance and standard deviation. Mean, median and mode are estimate of typical values which are ways to measure central tendency. Generally, these parameters are significant in the interpretation of research data.

Column A

1.Mean

2.Median

3.Mode

4.Percentiles

5.Quartiles

6.Range

7.Variance

8.Standard deviation

9.Interquartile range

10.Deciles

Column B

A. Measures of Dispersion

B. Measures of Central Tendency

C. Measures of Variability

What's New

Read the article below and answer the questions.

Beyond lockdown: Can the Philippines sustain low air-pollution levels?

By: Kristine Sabillo / 20 May 2020

MANILA On some rainy days, the thick haze would blanket the Philippine capital's sprawling metropolis, leaving the city skyline barely visible.

Unfortunately, Filipinos have become used to Metro Manila's air pollution. So much so that when air quality improved during the COVID-19 lockdown in March. Many were surprised to learn that the majestic Sierra Madre mountain range was visible from the metropolis' heart.

Photos of clear skies, breathtaking sunsets, and the Sierra Madre as a backdrop to the sprawling city went viral just a week after the government suspended public transportation and non-essential businesses to curb the spread of the virus. By following in the footsteps of other nations battling the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippine government inadvertently helped reduce air pollution in Metro Manila.

Cancer-causing pollution

Dr. Mylene Cayetano of the University of the Philippines' Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (IESM) said that during the first 6 weeks of the ECQ, fine particulate matter or PM2.5 levels decreased by 40% to 66% compared to the month of January, based on Airtoday.ph's monitoring station in Quezon City in the northern part of Metro Manila.

PM2.5 and PM10 refer to particulate matter that has a diameter of fewer than 2.5 micrometers and 10 micrometers, respectively. They are two kinds of pollutants that are measured by air monitors. Both have negative health impacts, but PM2.5 is more dangerous, according to Cayetano, because its small size allows it to reach the lungs.

PM2.5 has been linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. "The International Agency for Research on Cancer considers PM2.5 a major cause of lung cancer worldwide," Cayetano said.

The average PM2.5 levels during the first six weeks of the ECQ saw a 19% to 54% decrease compared to February, explained Cayetano, who is also the technical adviser of Airtoday.ph, an air monitoring project of the Rotary Club of Makati and the Lung Center of the Philippines.