Metro Cebu air quality back to ‘acutely unhealthy’

Local

THE air quality of Metro Cebu reached the “Acutely Unhealthy” level anew on Saturday morning, Sept. 19, as transboundary haze from Indonesia continued to affect the region.

The Metro Cebu Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station recorded a PM2.5 AQI of 209 at 4 a.m. on Sept. 19 before the reading rose to 238 by 7 a.m., both within the “Acutely Unhealthy” range.

With the poor air quality condition, authorities reminded the public to take precautionary measures.

Talisay City Mayor Samsam Gullas reminded students to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary outdoor activities after classes were suspended due to poor air quality, saying it would be safer for them to remain in classrooms where the environment is more controlled.

Gullas said he spoke with the Environmental Management Bureau-Central Visayas (EMB-7) on Saturday morning to ask why air quality had deteriorated again despite improving in recent days and despite the rains, which would normally help clear pollutants from the air.

According to Gullas, EMB explained that the elevated pollution remained influenced by transboundary haze from forest and land fires in Indonesia. Prevailing air patterns continued to carry smoke and fine particulate matter toward parts of the Philippines.

EMB monitoring stations in Mindanao had also recorded unhealthy air quality earlier, which Gullas said was consistent with the movement of the haze toward northern areas.

The same transboundary haze had previously been confirmed by EMB as affecting Cebu and other parts of the country.

The worsening air quality also reduced visibility across Metro Cebu, with the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) not visible to the naked eye from some areas.

Under EMB’s advisory, an AQI of 201 to 300 is classified as “Acutely Unhealthy.” People are advised to limit outdoor exertion, while those with heart or respiratory conditions should stay indoors and rest as much as possible.

Gullas encouraged residents who still want to exercise or play sports to use indoor facilities, including gyms and covered courts, while the air quality remains unhealthy.

He also expressed concern over students spending time outdoors despite class suspensions prompted by the poor air quality.

“Maguol bya ko magtan-aw nga magsuspend ta og klase tungod sa air quality, unya naa ra gihapon ang mga bata nag suroysuroy sa gawas. Maypa naa sa classroom kay at least naa sila indoors and mas controlled ang environment,” Gullas said.

Gullas urged the public to take the air quality advisory seriously and minimize unnecessary outdoor exposure while the AQI remains high.

He also encouraged residents to continue checking official EMB monitoring reports and advisories, noting that air quality conditions can change as wind patterns and particulate matter concentrations shift.

The haze affecting Cebu has been linked to wildfires in Kalimantan and Sumatra, Indonesia. Prevailing southwest winds, or habagat, have carried smoke and fine particulate matter toward the Visayas and Mindanao.

Metro Cebu previously recorded an AQI of 252 on Sept. 3, the highest reading in EMB 7’s historical monitoring, also classified as “Acutely Unhealthy.”

Air quality subsequently improved, with Metro Cebu recording an AQI of 98 on Sept. 10, classified as “Fair,” before deteriorating again on Saturday.

EMB 7 continues to monitor the region’s air quality and has urged the public to follow official readings and advisories as conditions may change.

Indonesia’s wildfire crisis has also reached areas near Nusantara, the country’s new capital under construction on the island of Borneo. Fires reported in mid-September burned about 30 to 40 kilometers from the government complex perimeter, including areas near the main toll road and within the Bukit Soeharto protected forest.

Authorities said the fires were in the outer zone designated for Nusantara and had not reached the construction site of the government complex.(MyTVCebu)