APRIL 19, 2026 — Metro Manila’s air turned toxic on Sunday, April 19, as “very unhealthy” levels of PM2.5 blanketed several cities, forcing residents to mask up while smoke from the Navotas landfill fire continued to choke the capital. The crisis highlights how fragile our air quality is and how we’re left to absorb the fallout.

By mid-afternoon, Caloocan, Malabon, Marikina, and Quezon City registered “very unhealthy” PM2.5 levels, according to the Environmental Management Bureau. In Navotas, where the landfill fire has been burning for days, air quality was deemed “unhealthy.” 

Only a handful of cities — Makati, Taguig, Mandaluyong, and Muntinlupa — managed to log “good” to “fair” readings.

PM2.5 refers to microscopic particles that burrow deep into the lungs. Experts warn that even short-term exposure can trigger asthma attacks, irregular heartbeat, reduced lung function, and higher risks for those with heart or lung disease.

Eight days after flames tore through the Navotas Sanitary Landfill, pollution levels are still climbing. A joint report by the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health’s Center for Research and Innovation and the Breathe Metro Manila network revealed that northern Metro Manila is now recording its highest PM2.5 levels since the fire began.

Vehicle emissions, construction dust, and biomass burning all add to the toxic mix. But the fire has turned the city into a giant smoke chamber, and residents are paying the price with their lungs.

Here in Quezon City, the haze isn’t just a nuisance — it’s a health hazard. Jeepney drivers, street vendors, and children walking to school are breathing in poison they didn’t create. And yet, the burden falls on them: higher medical risks, lost workdays, and the daily anxiety of living under a polluted sky.

The upbeat spin? Awareness is rising. People are masking up, monitoring air quality apps, and demanding accountability. But will awareness alone clear the air? 

(Image: Philippine News Agency)