Smoke from Indonesian wildfires blanketed Manila on Tuesday, pushing the Philippine capital’s air quality into acutely unhealthy and “very unhealthy” levels and prompting school suspensions as regional transboundary haze intensified across Southeast Asia.
Air Quality Plummets Across Metro Manila
Dense smoke driven by southwesterly winds blanketed Manila on Tuesday, turning wildfires burning nearly 2,000 kilometers away into a public-health warning. According to official monitoring from regional environmental authorities, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau recorded hazardous concentrations of fine particulate matter known as PM2.5—tiny particles measuring 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter that penetrate deep into the respiratory system.
Monitoring stations registered alarming air quality index readings across multiple urban centers. Based on data per Tuesday morning at 06:00 local time, the DENR-EMB for the National Capital Region recorded high levels of PM2.5. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) stated on Monday night that the observed haze is possibly associated with smoke and trans-boundary haze, which may have been transported towards the Philippines by prevailing winds. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources warned on Sunday, based on readings from its monitoring stations, that air quality reached acutely unhealthy levels. The DENR-NCR officially reported that several cities in Metro Manila recorded air quality levels ranging from “very unhealthy” to very hazardous to health on Tuesday morning, caused by the haze likely linked to ongoing forest fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia.
According to local Philippine media such as ABS-CBN and Inquirer.net on Tuesday, the worst air quality, detecting the highest Air Quality Index (AQI) figures, was detected in the areas of Paranaque, Quezon City, and Las Pinas, with this situation expected to continue in those areas for some time.
Atmospheric Physicist Explains Cross-Equatorial Winds
The sudden deterioration stems from intensifying wildfires across Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo. Satellite imagery confirmed active wildfire hotspots raging across the region.
Gerry Bagtasa, a Japan-trained atmospheric physicist at the University of the Philippines’ Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology, told ABS-CBN that the haze was dangerous because it was made up of tiny particles carried by southwesterly winds. Based on satellite images, he said the pollutants had come from intensifying wildfires in Kalimantan.
Ternyata, di sekitar Kalimantan, memang terjadi kebakaran yang cukup besar dalam beberapa hari terakhir. Kebetulan sekarang ada yang disebut angin lintas ekuator (cross-equatorial),
ujarnya dikutip dari ABS CBN. “Dari belahan bumi selatan, angin tersebut bergerak melewati wilayah ini (Laut Jawa dan Laut China Selatan), kemudian menuju ke sejumlah wilayah di Filipina. Jadi, dari citra satelit kita dapat melihat bahwa asap dari kebakaran hutan yang berasal dari Kalimantan mencapai Filipina,” tambahnya.
This cross-equatorial transport mechanism carried pollutants across international boundaries, affecting Philippine airspace.
Class Suspensions and Government Health Advisories
Local governments moved swiftly to protect residents as pollution levels climbed. The local government of Quezon City in the capital region of Metro Manila cancelled classes for children after recording unhealthy to very unhealthy air quality levels. Other cities and regions in the Philippines are likewise affected by smoke from Kalimantan in Indonesia, the DENR-EMB said on Monday night.
“The public, particularly those belonging to vulnerable groups, are advised to wear face masks as a precaution against the effects of poor air quality. Residents who need to go outdoors are also urged to take necessary precautions and limit exposure to areas with unhealthy air quality levels,” the city advisory said. Health experts urged people to wear N95 masks outdoors as air quality deteriorated across parts of Metro Manila.
