Air still 'unhealthy'

AIR quality in Metro Cebu remained unhealthy for sensitive groups on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) holding at 116 for two consecutive readings as haze persisted across Central Visayas.

Data from the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7 showed that Metro Cebu recorded an AQI of 116 at both 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., slightly down from 117 at 7 a.m.

An AQI of 116 falls under the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” category, which covers readings from 101 to 150. The reading would have to fall by 16 points to reach 100, the upper limit of the “Fair” category.

Under the scale used by EMB, readings from zero to 50 are classified as “Good,” while those from 51 to 100 are considered “Fair.” Higher classifications are “Very Unhealthy” from 151 to 200, “Acutely Unhealthy” from 201 to 300 and “Emergency” from 301 to 500.

Wednesday’s reading was also lower than the AQI of 121 recorded at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Monitoring at the Toledo City station was unavailable as of 4 p.m. Wednesday because of a power outage. The station recorded an AQI of 47, classified as “Good,” at 11 a.m., down from 56, or “Fair,” on Tuesday.

The EMB 7 advised children, older adults, pregnant women and people with heart or respiratory conditions, including asthma, to take precautions and limit outdoor activities.

The agency confirmed the latest haze episode began on Sept. 1, when smoke and fine particulate matter from forest and land fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, reached Central Visayas. Southwest monsoon, or habagat, winds carried the pollutants toward the Philippines.

Air quality deteriorated during the first week of September and peaked at 252 on Thursday, Sept. 3, placing Metro Cebu under the “Acutely Unhealthy” classification. / CDF