ILOILO City – The Department of Education (DepEd) has intensified monitoring and precautionary measures in Western Visayas schools as haze continued to affect the region, with a monitoring station in Iloilo City recording “very unhealthy” levels of fine particulate matter.
In its situation report as of 8 a.m. Friday, Sept. 4, DepEd said its Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS) was coordinating with field offices to assess possible effects of the haze on schools, learners and personnel.
Field validation was ongoing, while affected schools and DepEd offices were advised to adjust activities according to prevailing air-quality conditions.
Data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) showed that the Garden of Love monitoring station in Iloilo City registered a “very unhealthy” PM2.5 level.
PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers or smaller that can be inhaled deep into the lungs.
Western Visayas was among the regions where elevated PM2.5 concentrations were being monitored amid haze affecting several parts of the Philippines.
DepEd instructed schools in affected areas to minimize prolonged outdoor activities and limit outdoor exposure of sensitive learners and personnel.
When outdoor exposure cannot be avoided, learners and school personnel were advised to use well-fitting N95 masks or their equivalent.
Schools were also told to keep doors and windows closed whenever haze is noticeable and closely monitor advisories from DENR-EMB and the Department of Health (DOH).
Any deterioration in air quality or emerging health concerns should be immediately reported, DepEd said.
The department, however, clarified that a “very unhealthy” PM2.5 reading does not automatically mean the suspension of face-to-face classes.
Under DepEd guidelines, an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 151 to 200, classified as “very unhealthy,” allows authorities to implement localized measures depending on actual conditions.
When the AQI reaches 201 to 300, or the “acutely unhealthy” category, the local chief executive decides whether face-to-face classes should be suspended.
Classes and work are automatically suspended once air quality reaches the “emergency” category, corresponding to an AQI of 301 to 500.
For an AQI of 101 to 150, classified as “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” schools are directed to monitor conditions and provide additional protection to vulnerable learners and personnel.
Regular classes may continue under “good” and “fair” air-quality conditions, although monitoring is required under the latter classification.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has also directed government agencies to sustain monitoring and implement precautionary measures appropriate to conditions on the ground.
DepEd called for continued coordination among its field offices, local government units, DENR-EMB, DOH and other agencies as the haze situation develops.
The haze being observed in the country is possibly associated with smoke from ongoing fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, carried toward the Philippines by prevailing winds, according to the Sept. 4 DepEd report./PN
