CEBU CITY, Philippines —It is now safe to leave your homes even without having to wear a face mask.

Cindy Pepito-Ochea, information officer of the Environmental Management Bureau in Central Visayas (EMB-7), said that Cebu is now haze-free.

Ochea said in an interview with CDN Digital this afternoon, September 28, that particles found in the air has returned to its normal level.

The EMB-7 information officer was referring to the outcome of the ambient air quality monitoring which they did in Metro Cebu on Friday, September 27.

“(The) ambient air quality monitoring result showed that our current air quality is still within the quality standards,” said the EMb-7 advisory released on the same day.

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This means that the presence of particles in the air when they conducted their testing on Friday has returned to an average of 33.4 micrograms per normal cubic meter that is well within the maximum limit of 50 micrograms per normal cubic meter.

Ochea said that the disappearance of the haze can be attributed to the weakening of the Southwest Monsoon or he Habagat.

She said that the expected entry of another Low Pressure Area into the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) next week is another deterrent.

Having rains could help clear the air of pollutants, Ochea said.

But Ochea does not discount the possibility that we may again experience haze as the forest fires in Indonesia continues.

“The source of the haze is the Indonesian wildfire. Unless it ends, haze may still return to Cebu,” she said.

While Metro Cebu’s air quality has already returned to its normal level, Ochea is asking Cebuanos not to be complacent. She asked the people to always monitor EMB-7 issued advisories so that they can be properly guided if there was a need for them to again wear face masks. / dcb