Politics · Philippines Bureau
Tinio slams Marcos over inaction on Indonesian haze crisis
ACT Teachers party-list representative Antonio Tinio has criticized President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for his administration's alleged failure to address transboundary haze originating from Indonesia that has degraded air quality across parts of the Philippines.
LSN Philippines ·
Tinio raised the concern during House sponsorship and plenary deliberations on Thursday, pointing to what he characterized as insufficient government response to the cross-border air pollution problem affecting Filipino communities.
The transboundary haze, primarily originating from forest fires and land-clearing activities in Indonesia, has periodically affected air quality in Philippine regions, particularly in Mindanao and other areas near maritime borders. The issue has raised public health concerns and prompted calls for stronger diplomatic and environmental action.
The ACT Teachers representative's criticism underscores ongoing tensions between the Philippines and Indonesia over transboundary pollution, a recurring environmental challenge in the Southeast Asian region. Such phenomena typically worsen during dry seasons when agricultural burning and forest clearing operations intensify across Indonesian territories.
The remarks come amid broader regional discussions on environmental cooperation and the enforcement of existing agreements between ASEAN member states regarding transboundary haze mitigation and air quality management.