Philippines: Haze forces PAL, CebPac to cancel flights to and from Cotabato City

Philippine News Agency 22 Oct 15;

COTABATO CITY, Philippines -- Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific flights between Manila and Cotabato City have been since October 17 because of the haze, from forest fires in Indonesia, which has plagued many Mindanao cities, the local Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines office said.

However, CAAP-Cotabato said flights may resume at the Cotabato airport in Awang, Sultan Kudarat town should skies clear Thursday.

Roy Jumawan, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration-Cotabato weather specialist, said the haze -- from Borneo, Sumatra and Kalimantan -- has been blown over Southern and Central Mindanao by southern airstreams.

Typhoon “Lando,” which struck the country over the weekend, also contributed to bringing the haze to Mindanao.

The haze has also been affecting Brunei and Malaysia.

A staff of the Cebu Pacific-Cotabato ticketing office said they are not issuing tickets until flights resume.


Indonesia haze reaches Cagayan de Oro
ABS-CBNnews.com 21 Oct 15;

MANILA - The spreading haze from Indonesia has now reached the city of Cagayan de Oro.

According to state weather bureau PAGASA, the southwest monsoon enhanced by typhoon "Lando" (international name: Koppu) pushed the air from the neighboring country to the city in Mindanao.

Local health officials have urged residents to use face masks when going out as the forest fire smoke poses health risks.

The haze is expected to dissipate once Lando leaves the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).


Indonesia's haze reaches Zamboanga City
RJ Rosalado, ABS-CBN News Zamboanga 21 Oct 15;

ZAMBOANGA - Zamboanga City has also been affected by the haze from the ongoing forest fires in Indonesia in the past three or four days, according to state weather bureau PAGASA.

PAGASA weather observer Allan Gelani said the thick haze has caused a drop in temperature in the city, but he said this will not affect operations and the navigational routes of aircraft and seacraft.

Zamboanga City health officer Dr. Rodel Agbulos said the haze may cause respiratory illnesses, particularly to residents who have asthma and allergy as well as those living in areas high above sea level.

But Agbulos said they have yet to monitor residents complaining of respiratory illnesses caused by the haze.

The Environmental Management Bureau, meanwhile, said there is no reason for the public to worry.

Joselito Ventura, chief of the the bureau's ambient monitoring section, said based on their monthly monitoring, the air quality in Zamboanga City is still within the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' (DENR) emission standard.

According to Ventura, the emission standard of DENR is 150 micrograms per normal cubic meter.

In the three areas that they have monitored, the particulate matter average concentration has not reached more than 64 micrograms per normal cubic meter, which means that the air quality in the city is still not polluted.

Ventura said residents should not be worried about the thick haze above the city.

Aside from Zamboanga City, PAGASA said the thick haze has also reached Cagayan de Oro and Davao City.