08/09/2026
๐ฆ๐๐-๐ง๐๐๐ | ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐-๐๐ข๐ซ, ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ? ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ง!
A ruthless forest fire is thought to have a borderless smoke. The ablaze may get extinguished, but its smoke knows no path to take.
As forests and peatlands burn in Indonesia, particularly across West Kalimantan, microscopic particles rise into the sky, hitching a ride on winds that carry them overseas and into the Philippine atmosphere.
In places like Pontianak, where smoke from surrounding forest fires has reached hazardous levels, its effects are highly visible in the air that people breathe. What begins as a local environmental disaster has eventually become a regional threatโturning distant flames produce haze that blinds nationsโ horizons.
But how can such smoke from fires in Indonesia travel across countries and seas, eventually reaching the Philippines?
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The haze affecting various parts of the Philippines is primarily linked to multiple forest and land fires in Indonesia, particularly across Kalimantan and Sumatra. The fire that harmed these forests is intensified by high humidity and increased slash-and-burn land-clearing activities (Gorbiano, 2026).
The slash-and-burn land-clearing is a traditional farming method that involves cutting down and burning trees and plants in a forest or woodland to clear and fertilize the soil with nutrient-rich ash. The practice has long been used in parts of Indonesia and is considered one of the human activities that can contribute to the spread of fires (Stief, 2025).
Its continued application was highlighted in August of 2026, when Indonesian authorities arrested 72 people suspected of deliberately starting fires, with most allegedly burning land for agriculture (Karmini, 2026).
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But the fire itself is not the one that travels thousands of kilometers. It is the smokeโand the microscopic pollutants within itโ dispersed through the atmosphere.
When vegetation burns, it releases gases and complex mixtures of pollutants into the air. These include gases such as carbon dioxide (COโ), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NO), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which includes formaldehyde, benzene, and acrolein released from burnt or partially burnt plant chemicals (Clarity Movement Co.,2026).
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๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ
Among the most concerning are fine particulate matters known as PM2.5. These particles have a diameter of 2.5 micrometers (microns) or less, making them about 30 times smaller than a single strand of human hair. They are small enough to pe*****te deep into the human lungs, and in some cases, even enter the bloodstreams (World Health Organization, 2026; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2026).
Exposure to PM2.5 can contribute to respiratory and cardiovascular health problems, which raises a serious public-health concern.
Numerous scientific studies have linked the health issue to a variety of problems, including an increased risk of premature death in people with heart or lung disease, nonfatal heart attacks, irregular heartbeat, aggravated asthma, decreased lung function, increased respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways, coughing or difficulty breathing (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2026).
This makes the haze particularly concerning especially to vulnerable groups, such as children, elderly, and individuals with pre-existing respiratory or cardiovascular conditions (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2025; World Health Organization, 2026).
It only takes one breath to inhale a taste of death. Flame burns human skin, but smoke pollutants infiltrate airways threatening lungs to collapse. The most dangerous part of the haze, in other words, may be the part we cannot see.
๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, several places have been trapped by the haze. It reached parts of Luzon, where elevated PM2.5 concentrations affected air conditions in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, and MIMAROPA. It then shifted towards several parts of Visayas and Mindanao (GMA News, 2026; Moaje, 2026).
Areas like Talisay City, Zamboanga City, Iligan City, Sta. Cruz, Misamis Oriental, and Koronadal City recorded an โacutely unhealthyโ level for PM2.5 as of 8:00 AM on September 4, 2026 (Moaje, 2026; Bacay, 2026.)
This implies that the air pollution in the area is severe and dangerous, corresponding to an Air Quality Index (AQI) range of 201 to 203. At this alert level, everyone is advised to stay indoors and wear protective masks if going outside (Hedreyda, 2026; De La Peรฑa, 2026).
๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐-๐๐๐๐๐๐
!
As the haze continues to cover the Philippine skies, staying informed can be the first line of defense. Filipinos can monitor air-quality levels through staying on high alert with public announcements posted by the local government, limiting themselves on prolonged outdoor activities, and wearing masks. To take a deep breath means knowing what is in the air we breathe.
Cebu City, for instance, immediately suspended face-to-face classes citywide and urged offices to adapt flexible work arrangements as its air quality reached an โacutely unhealthyโ level, showing how timely monitoring can translate into concrete action (Tista, 2026).
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The haze may eventually fade from the atmosphere where it glides, but the danger it carries should not be underestimated. Behind the gray veil are microscopic particles capable of seeping deep into our bodies, proving that danger comes unnoticeably.
Smoke knows no boundariesโIt crosses country borders without a warning, carried by the wind and reaching communities far from where the fires began. We may not be able to stop and redirect the path of the smoke, but we can choose to protect ourselves from the harmful particles it carries.
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๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐.
Written by Kristel Dondiog
Proofread by Mark Diaz and Charmie Pogoy
Graphics by Miguel Adriane Ilustre
