Haze threatens Metro Manila

Air quality in Mindanao, Visayas poses health risk

After spreading to Mindanao, the haze from Indonesia has further spread to the Visayas, and may even reach Metro Manila. Worse, what is now covering the sky of Cebu is now a mixture of smoke and haze or what the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) preferred to call as “smaze.”

The situation has prompted the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 7 to urge Cebuanos to wear good fit protective masks to avoid respiratory exposure to contaminants.

Health officials in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) advised the public to stay indoors, unless necessary, to avoid suffering from respiratory diseases due to haze now covering most of Southern Mindanao region.

“Don’t underestimate the ill effects of

the haze. It’s worsening the already compromised quality of air that we breathe imposing health risks to everybody,” Dr. Kadil Sinolinding Jr., regional secretary for Department of Health (DOH-ARMM), said.

DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) Regional Director for Soccsksargen Ma. Socorro Lanto said the ambient air quality monitoring stations in Koronadal and General Santos cities have revealed an “increasing trend” in dust and smoke particles brought about by the haze from Indonesian forest fires.

The haze in Mindanao may not be as alarming as in Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia but Lanto advised the public to take precaution as it could cause problem to those with respiratory illnesses.

“Based on the data provided by the monitoring device, it is not alarming nonetheless, the public should take precaution particularly people with respiratory problem. The DOH in the region has already issued an advisory,” Lanto said

Health risk Haze can cause air pollution that can bring about increased risks of respiratory tract infections and cardiac ailments, according to the Department of Health. Domestic flights to and from Cotabato Airport remained cancelled for the eighth straight day yesterday due to the deteriorating condition of the skies over Mindanao, the state weather bureau said Saturday.

Charlene Jamero, PAGASA weather specialist, told reporters that incoming flights to Cotabato airport remained cancelled due to “very low visibility” or almost zero visibility as a result of the week-long haze that blanketed the region.

Commercial flights here have been cancelled since October 17.

Jamero said PAGASA could not say when the skies over Cotabato airport would clear.

She said the low visibility status of Cotabato airport has made it difficult, and dangerous for airplanes to land and take off.

PAGASA’s Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section officer-in-charge Anthony Lucero said the wind circulation from typhoon “Lando” (international name “Koppu”) may have aggravated the situation causing the smoke from the Indonesia peatland fires to drift to the Philippines, particularly in Visayas and Mindanao.

Citing wind analysis from the Haze Information Portal of the ASEAN Specialized Meteorological Center based in Singapore, PAGASA said this suggests that equatorial winds enhanced by typhoon “Lando” has reached the Philippines.

Engineer Oscar Tabada, director of PAGASA-Visayas, said there is light to moderate smaze hovering over the region based on their hourly observation and monitoring.

In a message to Manila Bulletin, DENR 7 information officer Eddie Llamedo said Cebuanos are advised to avoid staying longer outdoor and minimize prolonged outdoor physical activities.

“Those who are sick, especially the elderly and children, should stay indoor,” Llamedo said.

He added that with a wind speed of 0.1 meter per second, which is moving very slow, the smaze could still be experienced in the coming days.

“We hope that a strong wind or a stronger wind speed will occur so that this will be blown away,” he said.

PAGASA said the smaze may have also reached Palawan.

Metro Manila threatened

Lucero said haze pollution may also reach Metro Manila but will not be as bad as in Mindanao, Visayas, and Palawan because of occasional rains that suppress the spread of dust particles and smoke in the air.

PAGASA explained that during a strong El Niño, countries in Western Pacific, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, and the Philippines experience hot and dry climate, resulting in forest and peatland fires similar to the 1997-98 El Nino.

Lucero noted that this is not the first time the country observed a regional haze pollution because during the “very strong” El Niño in 1997-1998, the forest fire that raged Indonesia has resulted in haze blanketing neighboring countries, which include the Philippines.

“This (recent haze) is almost the same as what happened today,” Lucero said.

“Only rains could suppress haze pollution but as long as there is forest fire in Indonesia, the situation may become worse,” he said, noting that El Niño winds continue to exacerbate the fires raging in Indonesia.

PAGASA advised the public to take appropriate precautionary actions to avoid hazards brought about by this thick smaze.

It said Indonesian and some ASEAN authorities have extended cooperation and help to control the peatland forest fires situation in Indonesia.

Alfredo Quiblat, chief meteorologist of PAGASA-Mactan, said for the last two days hazy atmosphere has been observed here. (With a report from PNA)