Indonesian haze now in Mindanao

(THE BRUNEI TIMES)The local station of the Philippine weather bureau finally admitted that the thick haze that enveloped General Santos City last week and is still hovering over the city may be caused by the forest fire in Indonesia.

Dante Ariola, head of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in the city, also said the haze, visible early morning and late afternoon, could prevail over the city in the coming weeks due to prevailing presence of low pressure areas in some parts of Mindanao.

The latest satellite photo of the Indonesia forest fires is indicating that the haze has now reached southern Philippines.

He said the haze could disappear in November and December when El Nino begins to be felt all over the country.

The Environmental Management Bureau is already conducting tests in Visayas and Mindanao to determine the quality of air samples after Cebu and General Santos City reported the occurrence of unusual atmospheric conditions especially last week.

Local health officials have already issued bulletins for residents here to take precautionary actions especially those with respiratory problems.

Dr Antonietta Odi, officer in charge at the City Health Office said in a local TV interview that haze carries ozone and other gas particles that “irritates the nose, throat, airways the skin and the eyes”.

She said people prone to respiratory and pulmonary infections should limit their outdoor activities and stay indoors as much as possible until an advisory is released that the air in the city is already safe for them.

In General Santos City, a Philippine Airlines flight last week failed to land and had to be diverted to nearby Davao City due to thick haze.

“Monsoon winds blowing northeast from the Indonesian blazes towards the direction of the central Philippines could have carried the haze,” the Straits Times quoted Philippine weather forecaster Romeo Aguirre in an AFP story.

PAGASA earlier said the haze could be gone next week.

Morning joggers and early market goers in General Santos also noticed an unusually thick morning fog with the naked eye able to stare at the sun in the horizon.

The hazy horizon in General Santos went unnoticed for more than a week until local television station ABS-CBN reported it in its newscast here.

The forest fires in the southern island of Sumatra in Indonesia has raised alarms in Singapore and Malaysia as smoke delayed flights, and raised the pollution levels in the said countries.

The haze has been seen in the neighbouring countries of Indonesia for over a month now.

In southern Sumatra, more than 22,000 people were reported to have complained of respiratory tract infections caused by smoke coming from forest fires.

The forest fires began in August and worsened in September.