BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The Environment Management Bureau- Cordillera that between 12 midnight and 4 am on December 31 to January 1, the Burnham Park air quality monitoring station recorded a steady and significant rise in PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ levels, reaching the Emergency and Very Unhealthy categories of the Philippine Air Quality Index.
This increase was largely due to the heavy use of fireworks during the New Year celebration.
Because nighttime air has very little movement and almost no wind, the smoke and particles released from fireworks stayed close to the ground, causing the polluted air to remain in the area longer than usual. Although the pollution levels gradually decreased after 4 AM, the poor air quality persisted into the early morning hours before conditions slowly improved.
PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅ are tiny particles produced by burning materials such as fireworks. PM₁₀ can irritate the nose, throat, and lungs, while PM₂.₅ is even smaller and can travel deep into the lungs and even into the bloodstream, making it more harmful.
These particles can trigger coughing, breathing difficulties, asthma attacks, and other respiratory problems—especially among children, senior citizens, pregnant women, and those with existing heart or lung illnesses.
Fireworks release a large amount of these particles in just a short time, and with calm air during the early hours of the morning, they accumulate and create thick pollution that takes hours to disperse.
This is why the air quality remained unsafe even after the fireworks had stopped.
To safeguard the health of every household and community, EMB‑CAR strongly urges the public to avoid the use of fireworks and to choose cleaner, safer alternatives for celebrations.
Avoiding fireworks not only protects vulnerable groups but also prevents sudden spikes in pollution that place unnecessary stress on families and the environment. Staying indoors during poor air quality events, wearing protective masks when necessary, and monitoring official advisories are simple actions that can greatly reduce exposure.
EMB‑CAR appeals to every family, every barangay, and every community leader to make responsible choices that put health and safety first. Let us welcome the New Year—and every celebration—with practices that honor our environment and protect the well‑being of our people.
𝘊𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴. 𝘛𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘢 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.
