Thick haze blankets skies in Davao City, CDO, GenSan

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – A thick haze, which is believed to be caused by the forest fires in Indonesia, now blankets the skies in this city and some parts of Mindanao.

Gerry Pedrico of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in Southern Mindanao, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the station in the Davao region has been monitoring the haze in the past few days.

“We have been seeing the haze over Davao City since Saturday (October 17),” Pedrico said.

The haze is usually formed by the accumulation of smoke and particles like dust in the air, according to Pedrico.

He added that the haze was caused by the smoke from the wildfires in Sumatra, Indonesia, that started to spread last month.

Typhoon Lando, which has been battering Luzon right now, contributed to the haze, he said.

Residents, however, need not worry about health risks that the haze could bring.

“The smoke is actually up in the sky and there will be no health risks. There is no reason to be alarmed,” Pedrico explained.

The same phenomenon is experienced in General Santos City and Cagayan de Oro City and nearby towns.

Pedrico said they could not precisely say when the haze would clear out and give way to the normal blue skies.

“We really do not now but it will also go away,” Pedrico said.  SFM