By Minerva Newman CEBU CITY — The haze shrouding Metro Cebu is the smoke from forest fires in Indonesia blown in by monsoon winds, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in Central Visayas said on Wednesday. In its 8 a.m. advisory, EMB said its monitoring for particulate matter (PM) 2.5 showed a reading of 56 micrograms per normal cubic meter, which is above the safe guideline value of 50 micrograms per normal cubic meter. The haze from forest fires can cause air pollution, and bring about health risks for respiratory tract infections and cardiac ailments, EMB said. Cindylyn Ochea, EMB’s head of the monitoring and enforcement division, said PM 2.5 is a particulate matter or dust particle measuring 2.5 micrometers in diameter, about 3 percent the diameter of a human hair. “Since they are so small and light, PM 2.5 tend to stay longer in the air than heavier particles,” Ochea said. She said this increases the chances of humans and animals inhaling them into the bodies and might bypass the nose and throat and penetrate deep into the lungs. Some of the particles may even enter the circulatory system, Ochea added. The EMB encouraged the public to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as dust mask or eye goggles. “If you have nothing to do outside, stay indoors and always keep your windows and doors closed,” Ochea said. Jogging or running outdoors are not encouraged since the body ingests more pollutants when it is active, she said.