00:00 Good evening, Philippines.
00:02 Many cities in Metro Manila canceled their classes today
00:06 because of the smog.
00:09 FIVOX has an explanation as to why the volcanic smog
00:16 caused by Taal Volcano is now affecting the surrounding provinces.
00:22 Here is the story of Ryan Lesigas.
00:26 The volcanic smog is affecting almost the entire Tagaytay City.
00:30 From this, the Taal Volcano is producing sulfur dioxide.
00:34 The volcano is not affected because of the thick fog.
00:38 The local government of Tagaytay has ordered the wearing of face masks
00:43 to avoid the bad effects of the fog.
00:46 Nenet, who sells on the side of the road,
00:49 knows the bad effects of the fog.
00:52 But she says the face mask is too much.
00:54 It hurts my eyes.
00:57 I can still smell it but I can still breathe.
01:01 Many people came here to see the Taal Volcano.
01:06 From Silangkavite, Jerome came to Tagaytay
01:10 to see the volcano up close.
01:13 We want to see the smoke up close.
01:16 Yes, the view.
01:18 Just to confirm.
01:23 We don't experience it often.
01:26 That's why we want to experience it.
01:28 They are also experiencing the volcanic smog in their area.
01:32 There's a slight tingling that doesn't hurt the nose.
01:37 Then, your surroundings really have a...
01:43 That's it. That's the...
01:46 That's the cause of the Taal Volcano.
01:50 I can also smell sulfur here.
01:53 Feebox says there's a thermal inversion
01:57 that's why the volcanic smog is spreading.
02:00 If there's a thermal inversion,
02:02 meaning on the lower level, it's cold,
02:04 and on the upper level, it's hot,
02:06 it won't rise. It will stay in one place.
02:08 So it's concentrated in one place.
02:10 Now, if it's windy, it can fly to areas with people
02:15 and they can smell the sulfur dioxide, which is bad.
02:18 Feebox also clarified that there's no indication
02:21 that the volcano should be raised from alert level 1.
02:25 This is not an indication.
02:27 We've been saying alert level 1 since July 2022.
02:31 This is not an indication that we should raise the alert level from 1 to 2.
02:34 We are looking at many parameters.
02:37 One would be the increased electricity.
02:39 Between 5 a.m. yesterday and 5 a.m. today,
02:42 our earthquakes are only a few, five.
02:45 So this is not an indication.
02:48 It just so happens that, again,
02:50 the sulfur dioxide, if you compare it with the previous readings,
02:55 it's just low, it won't rise.
02:58 The smog is fine droplets containing volcanic gas that is acidic.
03:02 It can cause irritation to the eyes,
03:05 lungs, and respiratory tract.
03:07 Smog is more dangerous for people with asthma,
03:11 lung, and heart disease.
03:13 It's also dangerous for the elderly and pregnant women.
03:16 Our city health office is monitoring
03:21 if there are cases of respiratory illness.
03:28 The barangays are going around their areas
03:34 to closely monitor
03:36 because some people don't want to say that they have a fever.
03:39 Today, the city of Tagaytay received a total of 15 cases
03:43 from public and private schools.
03:46 Meanwhile, Metro Manila experienced a smog
03:50 because of the cancellation of all school entrances.
03:55 Some LGUs were asked to return home early because of the smog.
04:00 Feebooks and DNR explained that the Taal Volcano
04:04 had nothing to do with the smog in Metro Manila.
04:07 It was caused by pollution from the smoke of cars
04:11 that accumulates during rush hour.
04:14 Ryan Lizigues, for the nation.
04:18 I'll see you tomorrow.
