PHILIPPINE GOVT CONTINUOUSLY MONITORING HAZE SITUATION IN MINDANAO

anila, 20 Muharram 1437/22 November 2015 (MINA) – The Philippine government is monitoring the haze situation in Mindanao, a Malacanang official assured on Sunday.

The haze caused by forest fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, has already affected Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said agencies such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), and local disaster risk reduction management councils, are working together to deal with the situation.

After spreading to Mindanao, the haze from Indonesia has further spread to the Visayas, and may even reach Metro Manila., Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) quoted Allpinoy News as reporting.

Worse, what is now covering the sky of Cebu is now a mixture of smoke and haze or what the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) preferred to call as “smaze.”

The situation has prompted the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Region 7 to urge Cebuanos to wear good fit protective masks to avoid respiratory exposure to contaminants.

Health officials in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) advised the public to stay indoors, unless necessary, to avoid suffering from respiratory diseases due to haze now covering most of Southern Mindanao region.

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

DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) Regional Director for Soccsksargen Ma. Socorro Lanto said the ambient air quality monitoring stations in Koronadal and General Santos cities have revealed an “increasing trend” in dust and smoke particles brought about by the haze from Indonesian forest fires.

The haze in Mindanao may not be as alarming as in Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia but Lanto advised the public to take precaution as it could cause problem to those with respiratory illnesses. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)