Air Pollution in the Philippines
Explore the causes and effects of air pollution in the Philippines. Understand how various factors contribute to poor air quality and how it can negatively affect one's health.
NEWSFEATUREDTHE PHILIPPINES
9/4/20263 min read
Air Quality Issues
If you might be planning to move to the Philippines, know that the air quality in the Philippines is well known for its potential impact on public health, particularly for individuals with respiratory conditions. A combination of factors—urbanization, vehicular emissions, and industrial activities—has contributed to the deterioration of air quality levels, raising concerns among health authorities and citizens alike. We recently returned back to Guam from our summer vacation in Samar, and I can honestly say I never remember seeing such prolonged, hazy atmospheric conditions that we experienced during this last stay - even as compared to the time when we lived in Samar for several years.
Causes of Poor Air Quality
In urban areas, particularly in Metro Manila, the steady rise in population density has resulted in increased vehicular traffic. Emissions from vehicles contribute substantially to air pollution. Furthermore, industrial discharges and the burning of waste exacerbate the situation. In the provincial areas such as where we live, agricultural burning and other natural phenomena, such as volcanic eruptions (from other islands) and seasonal shifts, can also influence air quality, but human activities remain a primary contributor to the ongoing challenges. And combined with current...
External Factors
If there were an apex predator among fires, tropical peatland fires would be a top contender. These fires, which burn in dried wetland soils, are slow-burning, highly polluting, and notoriously difficult to extinguish because they smolder at low temperatures and often burn underground through expansive deposits of peat. It is estimated that peat fires generate three times more fine particulate matter than other tropical forest fires, five times more sulfur dioxide, three times more organic carbon, and two times more methane and carbon monoxide.
NASA Earth Observatory image of Borneo by Lauren Dauphin, using MODIS data
from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview.
Fire season is well underway in Indonesia as depicted by the above image taken on September 1, 2026. On the map of Borneo, each red dot depicts one fire detection. Peat fires are a recurring challenge in Indonesia, which is home to about 36 percent of the world's tropical peatlands. During a drought, such as the one currently ongoing, the archipelago's peat landscapes become unrelenting infernos. These fires can produce blankets of smoke for weeks on end and upending daily life for millions of people. And with the current Habagat (SW monsoon) conditions persisting over the South China Sea, most all of this particulate matter drifts northeastward across the Philippines archipelago.
This year's strong El Niño is exacerbating the dry season over the fire-prone parts of Indonesia (specifically Borneo), and with little or no rain during this past August, many of these fires have been burning for over a month.
Normally, it's too wet for fires to spread through underground peat deposits in Kalimantan, Sumatra, and Papua, but they can in dry conditions. Surface fires are less of a concern, but when fires get underground, they just won't stop, and they can keep burning until the rains come in October or November.
On the ground in Indonesia, the smoke is already causing widespread disruptions. Large swaths of the population have been exposed to hazardous smoke. And all this smoke carries northeastward over Malaysian and into the Philippines, making for some very hazy conditions from Manila southward and across the Visayas region and Mindanao.
Health Implications of Pollution
Individuals with pre-existing respiratory conditions, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are particularly vulnerable to the effects of air pollution. Exposure to polluted air can lead to heightened symptoms and increased healthcare costs. Moreover, even healthy individuals are not immune to the adverse effects of poor air quality, which can include headaches, eye irritation, and respiratory discomfort. My wife and I just returned (Sep 2nd) from a month's stay in Samar, and we both were feeling the effects on our breathing during our last two weeks there. It feels like an upper chest congestion that you just can't shake. And coughing generally makes it feel worse.
Conclusion
Improving air quality in the Philippines is a multifaceted challenge that requires concerted efforts from both the government and its citizens. It is essential for the community to remain engaged in advocating for cleaner air and implementing strategies that prioritize public health. Public health campaigns encourage citizens to take precautions, especially on days with reported hazardous air levels. These measures include staying indoors, using air purifiers, and wearing masks designed to filter out pollutants. Understanding the sources and health implications of poor air quality can empower individuals to make informed decisions about their health.
