EXPLAINER: How to keep safe from haze

The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday issued reminders to the public on how to stay safe amid haze from Indonesia, as it may pose health risks, particularly to children, the elderly, and those with lung and heart conditions.

According to the Health department, haze may cause the following:

• Difficulty breathing
• Coughing
• Chest pain
• Watery eyes
• Nasal irritation
• Worsening of respiratory conditions, such as asthma

Here are some tips to keep safe from the haze:

• Avoid going outside as much as possible
• Wear an N95 mask when outside
• Close the doors and use wet towels to block any gaps
• Use headlights or fog lights when traveling at night as visibility is poor
• Regularly monitor the air quality in your area

In case of needing assistance, DOH urged the public to contact the national emergency hotline 911

Amid haze from Indonesia, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) earlier today recorded “acutely unhealthy” air quality at 11 monitoring stations in Metro Manila.

These areas are Las Piñas, Malabon City, Mandaluyong, Manila, Marikina (Parang), Muntinlupa (Filinvest City), Parañaque (Don Bosco), Quezon City (Ateneo), San Juan City, Taguig (TUP), and Valenzuela.

Meanwhile, "very unhealthy" air quality is logged in Makati, Navotas, Pateros, and Quezon City (SMPH Commonwealth).

As Indonesia's wildfire season intensifies, authorities are on high alert to contain the damage and avoid the devastation that hit the archipelago in 2015, the last time it faced such severe "super-El Niño" weather conditions.

Indonesia has deployed cloud-seeding and firefighting aircraft to prevent fire and smoke from spreading in several key "hotspots," particularly in five provinces on Borneo island, home to vast stretches of fire-prone peatland.

— LA, GMA News