September 2, 2026 | 01:11 pm
TEMPO.Co, Jakarta - Smoke from forest and land fires in Indonesia's Kalimantan has drifted toward the Philippines, triggering unhealthy air conditions in parts of Metro Manila and renewed concerns over Southeast Asia's recurring transboundary haze problem.
According to Manila Times, the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Tuesday that the haze could continue affecting parts of the country through September 3, as smoke from fires in Kalimantan is carried by the southwest monsoon.
DENR Environmental Management Bureau Chief of Environmental Quality Management Division Jundy del Socorro said the situation depends largely on factors beyond the Philippines, including the intensity of fires in Indonesia, wind patterns and rainfall.
"Rain is one of the most effective natural mechanisms for removing suspended particles from the air, which can lead to better visibility and lower haze concentrations," he said.
Monitoring data showed several areas of Metro Manila recorded high levels of fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, with air quality reaching "very unhealthy" to "acutely unhealthy" levels.
Smoke Carried Across the South China Sea
Gerry Bagtasa, an atmospheric physicist at the University of the Philippines, said satellite imagery indicated the smoke came from intensifying fires in western and southern Kalimantan, as quoted by South China Morning Post.
Although Kalimantan is nearly 1,940 kilometers from Manila, weather conditions have helped carry the pollutants across the South China Sea. Bagtasa said typhoons near Taiwan and Hong Kong, together with the ongoing El Niño phenomenon, were strengthening the southwest monsoon, known locally as Habagat.
He expected the haze to linger until the weekend, depending on changes in wind direction.
Satellite tracking from NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), using data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), detected tens of thousands of active fire pixels across Borneo throughout August.
Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) confirmed in an email to The Manila Times that fire hotspots were concentrated in West and Central Kalimantan, with smaller clusters detected in Sumatra, Papua and Maluku.
The fires are associated with dry conditions, land clearing and drained peatlands, which can produce large amounts of PM2.5 and allow smoke to travel long distances under favorable wind conditions.
Haze Spreads Beyond Manila
As reported by Cebu Daily News, the haze has also reached parts of Metro Cebu, indicating that the impact of Indonesian wildfire smoke extends beyond the Philippine capital.
The Environmental Management Bureau in Central Visayas (EMB-7) identified the haze over Cebu as transboundary pollution, in which pollutants released in one country are transported through the atmosphere and reach another area.
Engr. Arthur Niño Calupig, an air quality monitoring specialist at EMB-7, said prevailing winds were among the factors allowing pollutants from Indonesia to reach the Philippines.
The haze has also affected other parts of the region, with smoke reported over areas of Malaysia and Brunei.
Health Warnings in Metro Manila
Health experts urged residents to limit outdoor activities and wear well-fitted N95 masks, particularly vulnerable groups such as children, older adults and people with respiratory or heart conditions.
Rontgene Solante of San Lazaro Hospital in Manila said even healthy adults should consider wearing N95 masks outdoors because fine particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause breathing difficulties.
The haze has already prompted class suspensions in parts of Manila and Quezon City, while authorities issued health advisories across the National Capital Region.
The Philippines has experienced major episodes of transboundary haze from Indonesia before, notably in 2015 and 2019. The latest episode has again raised questions about how Southeast Asian countries can coordinate responses when fires in one country affect public health in another.
According to the ASEAN Specialized Meteorological Center, the regional haze alert for the southern part of Southeast Asia was raised to its highest level on August 26 amid dense smoke from hotspot clusters in Kalimantan and southern Sumatra.
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