Jamaine Punzalan

Personnel from DPWH, BFP, Navotas LGU, and the Philippine Coast Guard navigate the Navotas Sanitary Landfill amid thick haze and dust during a site inspection on Thursday morning, April 16, 2026. Eon Sanchez, ABS-CBN News

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NAVOTAS SANITARY LANDFILL- FIRE

Ariel Rojas

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177639988804620260416-navotas-landfill-fire-inspection-ES6.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Personnel from DPWH, BFP, Navotas LGU, and the Philippine Coast Guard navigate the Navotas Sanitary Landfill amid thick haze and dust during a site inspection on Thursday morning, April 16, 2026. Eon Sanchez, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Poor air quality was observed again in parts of Metro Manila on Friday morning, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said.</p><p>At 9 a.m., an air quality index of 189, considered very unhealthy, was measured in Punturin, Valenzuela City based on the DENR Environmental Management Bureau’s monitoring of concentrations of PM2.5.</p><p>Unhealthy air was also recorded in monitoring stations along Commonwealth Avenue and inside the Ateneo de Manila University campus in Quezon City, as well as Marikina City, Malabon City, and Caloocan City.</p><p>The same conditions in the same areas were recorded at 12 p.m.</p><p>PM2.5 are particulate matters such as smoke, bacteria, and combustion products measuring 2.5 micrometers or less, at most 1/20th of the width of human hair.</p><p>These fine particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing various chronic illnesses.</p><p>Authorities attribute the poor air quality to the ongoing <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/11/navotas-landfill-blaze-under-control-aerial-response-underway-1210">fire at the Navotas Sanitary Landfill</a>, which started on April 10.</p><p>Around 70 to 80 percent of the area has been affected by the fire, which authorities have yet to fully contain.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2026/4/13/how-thermal-inversion-sea-breeze-worsen-haze-from-navotas-landfill-fire-1559">Access issue hinders efforts to suppress Navotas landfill fire</a></div><p>Meteorology professor Gerry Bagtasa said on social media the<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2026/4/13/how-thermal-inversion-sea-breeze-worsen-haze-from-navotas-landfill-fire-1559"> shifting wind directions</a> (easterlies, Manila Bay sea breeze) transport the smoke across surrounding areas, depending on the time of the day.</p><p>Northern Metro Manila and southern Bulacan have been significantly affected since last weekend.</p><p>On Thursday, Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon led the site inspection along with officials from Navotas and Obando local governments, Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Philippine Coast Guard.</p><p>Heavy equipment have been transported to the area to suppress the blaze with soil to cut off oxygen supply.</p><p>No timeline yet has been provided as to when the fire will be fully extinguished, as BFP said methane gas buildup may have triggered the fire.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oMKQPMPl20U?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HL0JtipuspY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Poor air quality was observed again in parts of Metro Manila on Friday morning, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said.</p>

Poor air quality was observed again in parts of Metro Manila on Friday morning, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said.

Unhealthy air quality recorded anew in Metro Manila

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Unhealthy air quality recorded anew in Metro Manila

Ariel Rojas,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 17, 2026 12:27 PM PHT

Read More:

Navotas landfill

air quality

air pollution

Metro Manila

PM2.5

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