The recent warnings (some came as messages on some cellphone numbers) by the Environmental Management Bureau of haze in the atmosphere caused by fires in Indonesia, and which is now over Region 7, is felt also in Dumaguete. There is a smoke-like veil dimming the sun.
The public is told to take preventive measures to protect itself. So wear a mask, stay indoors.
Life goes on as normal here. Are we too far to feel the danger?
Vice Gov. Mark Macias posted on his Facebook wall some photos taken from his home up in Valencia. “This is how bad the haze looks from Sagbang. We can hardly see Dumaguete. I hope we do not see a spike in respiratory cases.”
About three years ago, we in Negros were also visited by a haze like this. It also came from fires in Indonesia. Some flights were cancelled due to that haze here in Dumaguete. I suffered a cough then which was different from my other bouts of cough. I felt a coldness on my back. I went to see Dr. Erlinda Lim-Juan, our family doctor, who ordered an X-ray. It showed pneumonia. She prescribed antibiotics. She also said she had more pneumonia patients that time, and attributed it to the haze which aggravates any respiratory illness.
Driving home on a hazy day two days ago, I passed by a front yard belonging to a vehicle repair business across the Bishop’s Residence. A thick smoke from burning issued from that place, so thick it darkened the atmosphere.
With this haze hazard from Indonesia already going on, how can we continue to add more to it by burning waste?
Today, I called the Barangay Captain of Bagacay, and asked him to rove around his village and stop people from burning trash and leaves in their backyards/frontyards.
I also called Motong Barangay Capt. Dionie Amores, who is president of the Liga ng mga Barangay, to speak to the barangay captains of the City to address the problem of burning waste which is against the Clean Air Act.
Backyard-burning has been tolerated too long. Respiratory illnesses is so prevalent that it is at the top of the list of killers in this country.
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The amount of burning going on especially in the late afternoons is so obvious, one can see it from the mountains and from the sea. Smoke rises up.
There has not been enough attention being given to the Clean Air Act.
It is said that 80 percent of the Indonesian fires are set on purpose to make room for palm plantations.
These fires have disrupted air travel, forced schools to close, and sickened thousands of people. Many countries in Asia are suffering from the effect of these fires.
What can we do? I have stopped buying cooking oil that contains palm oil.
Read the ingredients of what you buy. Just a small act that if done together could have a huge economic impact on these businesses that have no regard for our health and our environment.
Take the phone, and call your barangay captain to go around and actively stop the burning that has become daily habits in their areas.
We want to see the health sector take an active role in campaigning against burning.
Agricultural burning need also now to be put under the loop and transformed.
I probably may be naive to think my small phone call to the barangay will make a dent on this issue of burning but to do nothing is more unacceptable to me.
There is always hope that the seriousness of polluted air will have the same attention as the campaign against smoking cigarettes.
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Author’s email: [email protected]
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