AS HAZE from forest and peatland fires in Indonesia reaches parts of the Philippines, environmental groups are urging Davao residents to avoid burning farm and household waste that could further foul the air.
Davao City-based Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (Idis) and Quezon City-based EcoWaste Coalition issued the appeal as transboundary haze continues to affect air quality in parts of the country.
“Open burning, a prohibited act under Republic Act 9003, produces particulate matter such as PM10 and PM2.5 and other environmental contaminants, including highly toxic dioxins, that can severely affect air quality and pose health risks,” Idis executive director Atty. Mark Peñalver said.
Peñalver acknowledged that local authorities cannot control fires in Indonesia but said residents can help reduce the impact of haze by managing waste properly and avoiding open burning.
EcoWaste Coalition National Coordinator Aileen Lucero urged households and other waste generators to follow the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act to help prevent further deterioration of air quality.
“We also ask authorities to closely monitor disposal facilities and the rehabilitation of closed dumps to prevent landfill fires, which can cause massive pollution,” Lucero said, citing a landfill fire in Navotas earlier this year.
Forest and peatland fires in Indonesia have repeatedly sent haze across Southeast Asia. Similar conditions affected Mindanao during the 2015 El Niño episode, when thick smog blanketed parts of the region.
Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) data showed that air quality in parts of the Davao Region remained generally acceptable as of Sept. 13. However, some monitoring stations recorded spikes in fine particulate matter during haze episodes.
The Calinan monitoring station, for example, recorded “very unhealthy” air quality on Sept. 8 and 9.
Authorities have continued monitoring air quality across the region and advising residents, particularly vulnerable groups, to take precautions when haze affects the area.
In Metro Manila, independent monitoring groups also recorded “acutely unhealthy” air quality from late August to early September, although conditions improved after rains brought by the southwest monsoon.
IDIS and the EcoWaste Coalition called for expanded air quality monitoring and the timely release of health advisories, particularly this month, which they said is a peak period for drought-driven forest and peatland fires in Indonesia.
The groups also urged national and local governments to strictly enforce air quality regulations.
They said children, senior citizens, pregnant women, and people with heart or lung conditions face greater risks from polluted air. RGL
