Philippines: ‘Light haze’ in Metro Manila possibly from Indonesia fires, says Pagasa

Frances Mangosing INQUIRER.net 26 Oct 15;

The state weather bureau has monitored “light haze” in Metro Manila on Monday, possibly caused by the Indonesian forest fires that have reached Mindanao and parts of Visayas.

Obet Badrina, weather specialist of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), said their stations in Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Science Garden in Quezon City and port area in Manila have monitored “light haze” covering the sky of the city as of 11 a.m.

Badrina could not say whether it was the haze from Indonesia that has reached Visayas and Mindanao.

Other causes of haze are pollution and volcanic eruption, he noted.

The light haze may worsen depending on the source of the haze. It will take another weather system or rains to suppress it, Badrina said.

In a separate statement, Pagasa said that “thick smaze” (smoke-haze) has been observed in Mindanao and parts of Visayas recently.

This has resulted to “some inconveniences ranging from reduced visibility to cancelled flights.”

“Wind analysis using the Haze Information Portal of the Asean Specialized Meteorological Center based in Singapore suggests that equatorial winds enhanced by Typhoon Lando have reached the Philippines,” Pagasa said.

Lando may have aggravated the situation, Pagasa noted, as the smaze from Indonesia peatland fires drifted over Mindanao and Palawan-Visayas area.

“Thick smaze began to manifest late September particularly during occurrence of tropical cyclones in North Western Pacific areas,” Pagasa said.

The weather bureau noted that during El Nino, countries in the Western Pacific such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei Singapore and the Philippines and others experienced hot and dry climate, which resulted to forest and peatland fires similar to the 1997 to 1998 El Nino.

Pagasa advised the public to take appropriate precautionary actions to avoid hazards brought by this thick smaze.


DOH issues advisory amid haze in Mindanao
The Philippine Star 27 Oct 15;

HAZE OR SMOG? Visibility is poor at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in this photo taken early Sunday. In Mindanao, a dense haze, believed to be from Indonesia’s forest fires, is wreaking havoc on air traffic. RUDY SANTO
MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) issued yesterday a health advisory in the wake of reports that haze from Indonesia has reached Mindanao.

The DOH said the haze, caused by forest fires, could trigger respiratory tract infections and heart ailments.

Health experts advised people, particularly the elderly, children and those with asthma or other pulmonary diseases, to stay indoors and wear dust masks when going outside their houses.

“Refrain from physical activities in heavily polluted areas. Exercise extreme caution when on the road to prevent accident (due to low driving visibility) and use headlights or fog lights. Motorists should follow the required minimum speed level,” the DOH said.

It also asked the public to stay away from low-lying areas where smoke and suspended particles might settle.

The department advised the people to consult a doctor if they experience difficulty in breathing, cough, chest pain, rheumy eyes and nose or throat irritation.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) confirmed that several provinces in Mindanao have a high level of air pollutants due to haze.

Joselito Ventura, DENR Environment Management Bureau monitoring chief, said residents of Barangay Lanzones in Zamboanga City have complained of respiratory illnesses.

City health officer Rodelyn Agbulos said they have yet to determine if the respiratory ailments were due to the haze.

Economic losses

Meanwhile, the government is still quantifying the economic losses brought about by the haze.

Mindanao Development Authority investment promotions and public affairs chief Romeo Montenegro told The STAR that there has been no official costing yet on the likely impact of the haze in Mindanao.

“But aggregate cost assumption is being determined for cancelled flights, slowing down of production and reduced business activities in certain areas in Mindanao where haze prevents people from going out,” Montenegro said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) earlier said that haze has affected a large part of Mindanao, even causing the cancellation of flights in the region.

The DENR, Department of Science and Technology, DOH and Department of Transportation and Communications, and local disaster risk reduction management councils are now working together to deal with the situation.

The DENR is reportedly monitoring its stations in Davao, Cotabato, Zamboanga and other strategic locations to check the air there.

The local PAGASA office said that the haze has been noted to have reached Mindanao three weeks ago.

Compensation from Indonesia
The government was urged to seek compensation from Indonesia for the ill effects of haze on Filipinos.

Rep. Rodel Batocabe of party-list group Ako Bicol, who chairs the House committee on climate change, said the Department of Foreign Affairs should invoke an agreement among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on trans-boundary haze pollution.

He said the DFA should initiate discussions “on a possible loss and damage mechanism that can cover the worsening hazardous effects of the 2015 Southeast Asian haze which first hit the Philippines through its southern islands early last month.”

“An erring state, in this case Indonesia, should compensate states adversely affected by the pollution,” he said.

He added that the effects have included the cancellation of several flights to Visayas and Mindanao “due to the thickening smog, compromising commuters and business activities.”

“The air pollution crisis, which is currently affecting Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, southern Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia, poses a huge health risk to the country. It makes the already compromised quality of air much worse, exposing our citizens to diseases such as dizziness, fatigue bronchitis, asthmas, pneumonia, and cardiovascular ailments,” Batocabe said.

Weathermen have warned that the smog could reach Metro Manila, depending on wind direction.

He said this is also the opportune time for Congress to consider the passage of a bill similar to Singapore’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, which imposes a fine of $100,000 to $2 million on those guilty of conduct that causes or contributes to any haze pollution in their country.

He added that the issue should be brought for consideration in the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. – Sheila Crisostomo, Roel Pareño, Edith Regalado, Jess Diaz, Paolo Romero.


Government asked to conduct cloud seeding to fight ill effects of haze in Mindanao
Jovee Marie de la Cruz Business Mirror 26 Oct 15;

A LAWMAKER on Monday asked the national government to conduct cloud seeding to fight the haze in Davao City and other areas in Mindanao.

Liberal Party Rep. Isidro Ungab of Davao, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, said cloud seeding is needed to protect the public from bad effect of the haze, mostly caused by the burning of forests in Indonesia.

Besides the Philippines, other countries affected by this haze are Malaysia and Singapore.

The Philippines, particularly Mindanao, has been affected by the haze since October 17.

“I am urging the government to conduct cloud seeding. Hopefully the rains can help neutralize the haze,” Ungab said in a text message.

Cloud seeding is the induction of rain by introducing silver iodide or dry ice into clouds through the use of airplane flares, rocket or generator.

“However, business is still usual in Davao. But the long-term effect of it might lead to respiratory problems. The health of our children must be protected,” the lawmaker said.

Meanwhile, in a CNN Philippines report, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) health officials advised the public to stay indoors to avoid suffering from respiratory diseases due to the haze now covering some areas in Mindanao.

In the report, Dr. Kadil Sinolinding Jr., regional secretary for Department of Health (DOH)-ARMM, asked the public to “don’t underestimate the ill effects of haze. It’s worsening the already compromised quality of air that we breathe imposing health risks to everybody.”

Meanwhile, the DOH said haze due to forest fire can cause air pollution, which can bring about increased risks for respiratory tract infections and cardiac ailments.

The DOH advised the elderly, children and those with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases to stay indoors with good ventilation, wear appropriate dust masks when going outside the house and refrain from physical activities in heavily polluted areas.

The health department also asked motorists to exercise extreme caution whenever on the road to prevent accidents, such as use headlights or foglights, follow the required minimum speed level and extreme caution in low, visibility driving, and ensure that vehicle is in good running condition.

The DOH added that public should consult a doctor if there is difficulty in breathing, cough, chest pain, increased tearing of the eyes and nose or throat irritation.


Will haze reach Metro Manila?
JC Ansis, CNN Philippines 26 Oct 15;

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Recent Typhoon Lando (international name: Koppu) enhanced the equatorial winds which carried the haze coming from the peat and forest fires in Indonesia to the Philippines, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

The haze has affected people living in Mindanao and in Metro Cebu. But will it reach Metro Manila?

PAGASA senior weather forecaster Chris Perez told CNN Philippines on Monday (October 26) that there was a small chance the haze would reach Metro Manila.

"The forecast wind speed and direction is coming from the east to northeast and this particular wind direction is not expected to bring the haze from Indonesia towards Metro Manila," said Perez.

"Unless there will be a gradual shift of the wind, from the east to northeast to south to southwest, then there's a little chance that this particular phenomenon will reach Metro Manila."

Perez said he had no idea yet how long the haze would stay in the country, but PAGASA WOULD continue to monitor the prevailing wind for the next two to three days.

"It will depend largely on the prevailing wind direction," said Perez.

"If within the next two to three days, the prevailing wind will be coming from the east to northeast, then likely we are expecting at least minimal effects or this particular phenomenon to gradually disappear from some provinces over the central and southern part of the country."

How to cope with haze
Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) released an advisory on Monday to guide residents in areas affected by the haze.

The DOH advised people to:

stay indoors
wear appropriate dust masks
refrain from physical activity in heavily polluted areas
be cautious when on the road
use fog lights
respect speed levels
stay away from low lying areas where smoke and particles may settle
monitor TV and radio advisories
People were told to visit a doctor if they would experience any of the following:

difficulty in breathing
coughing
chest pain
excessive tearing of eyes
nose or throat irritation

The Environmental Management Bureau also advised the public in affected areas to stay indoors or wear N95 masks and eye goggles.

CNN Philippines' Isabella Montano contributed to this report.