Thick smaze or a combination of smoke and haze has blanketed parts of Visayas and Mindanao and residents in these areas should wear masks to protect themselves and limit their time and activities outdoors, the weather and environment agencies warned.
“People with respiratory disease such as asthma should limit outdoor exertion,” Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7 Director William Cuñado said in a report he sent earlier today to Environment Secretary Ramon Paje.
Cuñado said particulates exceeded standard value in their air quality monitoring in Fuente Osmeña. The air quality is “unhealthy for sensitive groups.” The air quality worsened during the 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. monitoring window of EMB on October 24.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAG-ASA said the haze came from forest fires in Indonesia blown into the country by equatorial winds and Typhoon Lando.
“The public is advised to take appropriate precautionary actions to avoid hazards brought about by this thick smaze. Indonesian and some ASEAN authorities are cooperating and helping to control the peatland forest fires situation in Indonesia,” the weather bureau said in its advisory.
The Department of Health, meanwhile, issued an advisory to residents to provide tips on how to deal with the haze.
Latest updates on the haze in Cebu
