Indonesia haze reaches Panay; masks urged for children, seniors

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

ILOILO CITY – Moderate smoke haze linked to fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, has reached parts of Panay Island, the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) confirmed Tuesday, Sept. 1.

In its daily weather and haze report, the ASMC said moderate to dense transboundary smoke plumes were observed over parts of Palawan and Panay in the Philippines, as well as North, West, and Central Kalimantan, Sabah, Sarawak, and Brunei.

The centre is the ASEAN-designated body that monitors land and forest fires and issues early warnings on transboundary haze across the region.

The haze was traced to widespread hotspots in Kalimantan and Sumatra, where dry conditions have persisted.

The Environmental Management Bureau-6 (EMB-6) had yet to confirm as of Tuesday whether the haze had reached Western Visayas.

EMB-6 monitoring results from Aug. 28 to 31 showed that the PM2.5 Air Quality Index in Metro Iloilo remained within the “Good to Fair” category, although an increase was recorded on Aug. 31.

PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter, small enough to travel deep into the lungs.

At the EMB-6 monitoring station in Barangay Nabitasan, La Paz, Iloilo City, air quality remained in the “Good” category from Aug. 28 to 30 before shifting to “Fair” on Aug. 31.

Despite the generally acceptable air quality readings, EMB-6 told Daily Guardian that vulnerable groups should take precautions, including wearing face masks outdoors.

“Wearing of [masks] is recommended especially those belonging to vulnerable [groups], children and senior citizens,” the agency said on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) on Tuesday advised its constituents to wear snug-fitting face masks outdoors as a precaution against the haze, which has reached Miagao, Iloilo.

EMB-6 confirmed the presence of haze in Miagao, according to the university advisory.

UPV also encouraged its constituents to minimize prolonged outdoor activities, particularly those sensitive to poor air quality, and to remain attentive to official advisories.

The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday confirmed that haze from Kalimantan had reached parts of Luzon and the Visayas due to the southwest monsoon, or habagat.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration also reported Tuesday that haze from the Kalimantan fires was affecting the western portions of the Visayas, Mimaropa, and Mindanao.

Conditions were considerably worse in the capital, where the Environmental Management Bureau in the National Capital Region recorded “acutely unhealthy” PM2.5 levels across most of its Metro Manila stations on Tuesday morning.

The bureau said the haze could continue to affect parts of the country until Sept. 3 while fires in Kalimantan remain active, with air quality possibly improving between Sept. 4 and 6 if rainfall becomes widespread and wind patterns shift.

The ASMC said most of the southern ASEAN region is likely to remain dry in the coming days, except in areas where showers are forecast.

Under prolonged dry conditions, hotspot and smoke haze activity is expected to remain elevated in fire-prone areas, with a continued risk of severe transboundary haze.

Prevailing winds over southern ASEAN are expected to blow mainly from the southeast to south.

Meanwhile, wetter conditions are forecast over the northern ASEAN region, which the ASMC said should help keep hotspot and smoke haze activity subdued.

The centre’s seasonal outlook said El Niño conditions are present and strengthening, with below-normal rainfall predicted across the southern ASEAN region from August to October, a combination that raises the likelihood of extended haze episodes.