As transboundary haze from ongoing forest and peatland fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, impacts parts of the Philippines, environmental organizations issued urgent reminders for the public to refrain from burning farm and household waste. According to groups such as the Quezon City-based EcoWaste Coalition and Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS), open burning sharply worsens regional air quality already strained by cross-border smoke.
Transboundary Haze Triggers Air Quality Warnings Across Regions
Haze driven by Indonesian fires has periodically blanketed parts of the ASEAN region, hitting levels not seen since the major El Niño of 2015. According to IDIS Executive Director Atty. Mark Peñalver, open burning is a prohibited act under Republic Act 9003 that produces harmful particulate matter—specifically PM10 and PM2.5—along with toxic dioxins. “While we cannot extinguish the haze-causing fires in Indonesia, we can avoid exacerbating its effects by properly managing our discards and not burning them,” Peñalver stated.
Data from the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in the Davao Region noted that while local air quality generally remains acceptable, certain monitoring stations recorded alarming spikes. The Calinan ambient air monitoring station registered “very unhealthy” levels on September 8 and 9 due to the influx of transboundary smoke. Similarly, the Ateneo Center for Research and Innovation (ACRI) and Breathe Metro Manila (BMM) reported that air quality in Metro Manila reached “acutely unhealthy levels” between August 30 and September 2 before southwest monsoon rains helped clear the air.
Calls for Waste Management and Strict Enforcement
Echoing these concerns, EcoWaste Coalition National Coordinator Aileen Lucero urged the public to avoid setting dry leaves, twigs, and crop waste on fire. “We appeal to all waste generators not to set farm and household waste on fire and to abide by RA 9003, so as not to aggravate the air quality due to the transboundary haze,” Lucero said. Furthermore, the coalition called on local authorities to closely monitor disposal sites and closed dumps to prevent spontaneous landfill fires similar to what happened in the Navotas landfill last April and May.
Environmental advocates emphasize that vulnerable populations—including children, senior citizens, pregnant women, and individuals with long-term heart or lung sickness—face the highest health risks from polluted air. Both IDIS and the EcoWaste Coalition continue to advocate for expanded air monitoring and timely public health advisories throughout September, which is a critical period for the drought-driven fire season in Indonesian forests and peatlands.
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