QC cautions residents amid ‘unhealthy’ air quality

Quezon City map. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines – The Quezon City (QC) government called on residents to wear face masks following reports of “unhealthy” and “very unhealthy” air quality levels in parts of the city.

In a Facebook post on Monday, the city government said that the latest Air Quality Index (AQI) readings showed that certain areas are experiencing harmful air pollution, which may pose health risks.

“Kaya kung mayroong respiratory illness tulad ng hika, iwasan munang lumabas ng bahay. Kung hindi maiiwasan at kinakailangang umalis, magsuot ng mask (Those with respiratory illness like asthma are advised to stay indoors. If leaving the house is unavoidable, wear a mask),” the post read.

READ: Legarda: Strictly enforce Clean Air Act amid ‘unhealthy’ NCR air

The city government assured it is closely monitoring the AQI and would provide regular updates to keep residents informed.

For more information on the air quality, residents may contact the Quezon City Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department at (02) 8988-4242, local extensions 8348, 8349, 8359 or 8360.

Those experiencing health concerns, such as difficulty in breathing or asthma symptoms, may contact the Quezon City Health Department at (02) 8929-8038.

For immediate assistance, the QC Helpline 122 is also available.

In a related incident, the municipal government of Montalban, Rizal also issued a public advisory on an ongoing fire at a landfill in the town.

“Ang upper portion ng landfill ay kontrolado na at ang lower portion na lamang ang kasalukuyang inaapula (The upper portion of the landfill is now under control, and only the lower portion is currently being cleaned up),” the advisory read.

“Kagabi pa lamang ay nagpalikas na tayo ng ilang residente malapit sa lugar, namahagi na rin tayo ng mga face mask para sa mga residenteng apektado ng usok (We already evacuated some residents near the area last night, we also distributed face masks to residents affected by the smoke),” it added.

The local government said it coordinated with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the air quality testing.

Residents are advised to stay away from the affected zones, while ambulances were deployed for emergency assistance.

Quezon City is about 20 kilometers away from the Montalban landfill.