The air quality of Iloilo City remains within standard, based on the monitoring of particulate matter (PM) by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB).

The city has 10 and 2.5 (PM) air quality, which, according to EMB, is within fair brackets, despite the recent eruption of Mt. Kanlaon.

PM10 are very small particles with a diameter of 10 micrometers (0.01 mm) or smaller.

The ambient air quality report of the EMB showed fair quality within the Metro Iloilo Airshed. The station monitoring in La Paz district released a good air quality index category and fair from the EMB building at the Parola Wharf in the City Proper district.

The result of the monitoring at the Oton Elementary School in Oton town was also under the good air quality index category and fair at the Pavia National High School in the town of Pavia.

“This indicates that the air quality remained satisfactory following the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon on June 3, 2024. This confirms that the existing air quality within the metro poses little or no risk to the community,” the EMB statement said yesterday.

EMB regional director Ramar Niel Pascua said EMB has six air quality monitoring stations based in Iloilo City and five towns, but only four are currently available since the two others were for monitoring of the air quality in Negros Occidental, following the Mt. Kanlaon eruption.

“Our equipment operates daily to monitor the air quality of Iloilo,” he said in a phone interview.

He said the EMB has requested from their central office equipment to monitor the presence of sulfur dioxide, so he cannot comment on results posted on various social media accounts because they did not come from their office.

“We also exert effort to borrow equipment for monitoring sulfur dioxide from other industries,” he said.

He also advised the public, especially those with respiratory diseases, to take precautionary measures like wearing face masks when they go outside their houses. (PNA)