[International] Indonesian Wildfire Haze Reaches Philippines, Manila's Air Quality Turns Red

Forest fires have been continuously occurring in Indonesia recently, with the resulting haze drifting to areas such as Metro Manila in the Philippines. The Philippine Office of Civil Defense (OCD) urges the public to reduce outdoor activities and wear masks if they need to go out, to mitigate potential health hazards from the haze. Deputy Administrator Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro of the OCD stated at a press conference today (1st) that ongoing forest fires in Indonesia may cause related haze to cross borders into the Philippines via the southwest monsoon. It has currently affected Metro Manila and nearby provinces, parts of central Philippines, and Palawan. According to monitoring data for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Metro Manila at 4 PM reached 225 in the City of Manila and a high of 265 in Parañaque City, both falling under the "Very Unhealthy" category. Weather experts speculated on news programs that the haze phenomenon might persist for several more days. Alejandro said that haze can cause symptoms such as difficulty breathing, coughing, chest pain, watery eyes, and itchy nose, and can also worsen conditions like asthma. The public should avoid prolonged exposure to the hazy environment. He reminded the public to reduce going out unless necessary, especially children and the elderly. If going out is unavoidable, appropriate protective measures should be taken, such as wearing an N95 mask. Furthermore, Alejandro advised drivers to turn on headlights or fog lights when driving at night or in low visibility conditions to enhance road safety. (Editor: Liu Xiang-hua)