Cagayan de oro: Local government units in Northern Mindanao remind the public to observe minimum health measures to mitigate the effects of poor air quality due to haze. As of Tuesday, the Environmental Management Bureau in Northern Mindanao (EMB-10) recorded elevated fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels in the air quality index (AQI) from its monitoring stations.
According to Philippines News Agency, while the Cagayan de Oro station recorded 81 PM2.5 AQI (fair), the Iligan station recorded 158 PM2.5 AQI, classified as "very unhealthy," and the Tagoloan station 109 PM2.5 AQI, or "unhealthy for sensitive groups." The Iligan City Health Office issued an advisory on measures to lessen the effects of haze, which originated from forest fires in Indonesia.
The health office urged the wearing of face masks and staying indoors. It identified vulnerable groups as children, the elderly, pregnant, and those diagnosed with asthma or with comorbidities affecting the lungs and heart. "Avoid haze to protect the lungs. Clean air is important to a healthy life," the advisory said.
The City College of El Salvador City in Misamis Oriental also issued Administrative Memo No. 30 on Tuesday requiring the wearing of face masks inside the campus. The Cagayan de Oro City Health Office encouraged the wearing of face masks at all times, especially when going out.
