PHIVOLCS: Metro Manila haze most likely due to pollution

The haze observed in Metro Manila on Monday was most likely due to local pollutants rather than vog, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said on Tuesday.

“Hindi umabot sa Metro Manila 'yung vog na galing sa Taal (The vog from Taal Volcano did not reach Metro Manila),” PHIVOLCS Director Teresito Bacolcol told GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita in an interview.

According to Bacolcol, the local pollutants in the National Capital Region stayed at the lower levels of the air because of the weak winds in the past three days.

“The haze that we observed yesterday is most likely due to local pollutants rather than vog. Katulad po ng nangyari sa Batangas, hindi rin po makaangat 'yung pollutants dahil mabagal po 'yung hangin causing these pollutants to remain at the lower levels and created the haze we saw yesterday,” he said.

(The haze that we observed yesterday is most likely due to local pollutants rather than vog. Just like what happened in Batangas, the pollutants could not rise because the wind was slow, causing these pollutants to remain at the lower levels and created the haze we saw yesterday.)

After the rain on Monday, the vog or volcanic smog was only observed in Taal Volcano's caldera, Bacolcol said.

According to DENR - EMB, “the current air pollution levels may be primarily attributed to emissions from heavy vehicular traffic, especially during rush hour and the effect of thermal Inversion which traps air pollutants in the surface level.”

“Haziness on the other hand, may be attributed to the VOG from the plume of Taal volcano,” it added.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Environment Programme on its website said air pollution is closely linked to climate change because "pollutants have a major impact on climate," the United Nations Environmental Program said on its website. 

Mainly derived from burning fossil fuels for electricity and transportation, greenhouse gas emissions are a form pollution that harms not just the environment but humans as well. Here's a good visualization of how polluted Metro Manila air is.

Some areas in Metro Manila and the Southern Tagalog region have suspended classes or in-person classes for Monday and Tuesday due to high levels of vog from Taal Volcano.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR - EMB) said up to “very unhealthy” air quality has been observed in some areas in NCR on Monday morning.

As of 10 a.m. on Monday, the DENR - EMB's Real-Time Ambient Air Quality Monitoring said the air quality in the following areas reached “very unhealthy” and “unhealthy for sensitive groups” levels:

• Makati - 163 air quality index index (AQI), very unhealthy
• Pateros - 144 AQI, unhealthy for sensitive groups
• Parañaque - 133 AQI, unhealthy for sensitive groups
• Caloocan - 116 AQI, unhealthy for sensitive groups

Currently, PHIVOLCS is waiting for reports of vog around the area of Batangas.

“Pagkatapos ng ulan kahapon, 'yung na-observe na vog ay nasa Taal Caldera lamang. So right now, naghihintay pa tayo ng ibang reports kung may iba pang vog around Batangas area,” he said.

(After the rain yesterday, the vog was only in the Taal Caldera. So right now, we are still waiting for other reports if there are other vog around Batangas area.)

“Na-wash out po 'yung vog kahapon (The vog yesterday was washed out),” he added.

—KG/LA, GMA Integrated News