8 areas in Cebu suspend classes due to poor air quality

Local

POOR air quality has prompted at least eight areas in Metro Cebu to suspend face-to-face classes on Monday, Oct. 12.

In-person classes for all levels were cancelled in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, Talisay and the towns of Consolacion, Minglanilla, Compostela and Liloan.

As a result, local governments instructed schools to shift to alternative delivery modes such as conducting asynchronous or online classes to ensure continuity of education.

“This precautionary measure aims to protect the health and safety of our students, teachers, and school personnel amid unhealthy air quality,” Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said.

The suspension of physical classes came after the Environmental Management Bureau-Central Visayas (EMB-7) announced on Sunday, October 11 that air quality deteriorated once again.

Air quality index (AQI) hit 180 on Sunday evening, Oct. 11, within the “very unhealthy” category.

On Monday, it slightly improved to 156 but still falls within “very unhealthy levels.”

This means children, elderlies and individuals with existing respiratory conditions are discouraged from going outdoors as exposure to air pollutants may aggravate their conditions.

According to EMB-7, the decline in air quality is still due to local pollutants such as emissions from vehicles and industrial outputs.

They have not detected any signs indicating the presence of transboundary haze, which was the source of air pollution in the past months.

The prevailing amihan (northeast monsoon) has also contributed to the poor air quality, EMB-7 added.

Cooler temperatures can trap pollutants in the air as it prevents them from rising to the atmosphere and dispersing, the agency explained.

“These impact levels are further intensified by unfavorable weather

conditions, particularly low ambient temperatures from nighttime to early morning, which enhance the atmospheric suspension and trapping of fine particulate matter,” EMB-7 said.(RBE)