MANILA - Forest fires were recorded in unprotected mountain areas in Antipolo and Tanay in Rizal, an official from Masungi Georeserve said Monday.

Advocacy Officer Billie Dumaliang told ABS-CBN News that the fires were spotted by their teams at around 8 p.m. Sunday.

She said the fires may reach the nearby Masungi Georeserve.

She suspects that the fires are man-made, either caused by kaingin, charcoal production, or unintentionally through negligence.

Dumaliang said these are possibly results of unemployment forcing people to find alternative livelihoods amid the Luzon lockdown.

"People are going back to kaingin, charcoal-making, and logging due to lack of jobs," she said.

In an Facebook post, Masungi Georeserve officials explain: "Many times, burned forests and degraded lands pave the way for land grabbing, conversion and unsustainable development when people say that 'burned lands are no longer forest lands.'"

They called for everyone to be vigilant for threats of forest fires, especially during the dry season.