Iloilo air quality ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ as haze persists

ILOILO CITY — Air quality in Iloilo City remained a health concern early Thursday as fine particulate pollution reached a level classified as “unhealthy for sensitive groups” amid haze affecting parts of the Philippines.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) Region 6 said its Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station at the Garden of Love in Barangay Nabitasan, La Paz district, recorded a PM2.5 rolling 24-hour Air Quality Index (AQI) average of 150 as of 5 a.m.

The reading falls under the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category, prompting the agency to advise children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with existing respiratory or heart conditions to limit prolonged or strenuous outdoor activities.

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READ: Unhealthy air quality blanketing eight areas – DENR

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Sensitive individuals were also advised to reduce their exposure to outdoor air whenever possible.

PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers or smaller. Because of their extremely small size, these particles can be inhaled deep into the lungs and pose greater health risks, particularly to people with underlying medical conditions.

DENR-EMB Region 6 has been closely monitoring air quality in the Metro Iloilo airshed as haze continues to affect several areas of the country.

The agency said the haze may be associated with smoke and transboundary haze from ongoing wildfires in Kalimantan, Indonesia.

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The results from other ambient air monitoring stations will be released once available.

DENR-EMB Region 6 said monitoring across the Metro Iloilo airshed would continue while haze conditions persist, with updated readings to be posted through its official channels for public guidance.

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The latest reading underscores continued concern over air quality in Iloilo after authorities stepped up monitoring this week amid reports of haze affecting Western Visayas and other parts of the country. /coa