• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Highly-urbanized Bacolod City and La Castellana in Negros Occidental are recording “very unhealthy” air quality index (AQI) level as haze continues to affect parts of Negros Island Region (NIR), based on the monitoring reports of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) on Wednesday, Sept. 2.
The EMB-NIR said its latest monitoring showed “very unhealthy” AQI readings in the two areas while other monitored locations across the region remained under “fair” air quality status.
With this development, the bureau said it is closely monitoring ambient air quality in Bacolod, La Castellana and other areas amid reports that the haze affecting several parts of the Philippines may be associated with smoke from ongoing fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Irene Bel Ploteña said the haze reaching the Philippines is believed to be coming from large-scale fires in palm oil plantations in Indonesia, with the smoke being transported across the region by the monsoon winds.
EMB-NIR warned that the haze contains fine particulate matter that can be inhaled and penetrate deep into the lungs, potentially causing respiratory irritation, coughing and sneezing and triggering asthma attacks.
With the “very unhealthy” air quality recorded in Bacolod and La Castellana, the EMB-NIR advised residents to take precautionary measures, including wearing well-fitting face masks, limiting outdoor activities, staying indoors when necessary and protecting their eyes. | GPB
