THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) yesterday said five areas in three regions in Luzon will experience a “danger” level heat index today.
The weather bureau said the heat index in Dagupan City in Pangasinan is forecast to reach 43 degrees Celsius.
The four other areas projected to have a slightly lower heat index of 42 degrees Celsius are Puerto Princesa City and Abolan town, both in Palawan; Sangley Point in Cavite, and San Jose town in Occidental Mindoro.
A heat index ranging from 42 to 51 degrees Celsius is classified by PAGASA under the danger level. It said heat cramps and heat exhaustion are likely, and heat stroke is possible under this condition.
As the high heat index trend continues, the leadership of the University of the Philippines Diliman and Los Baños campuses yesterday recommended a shift to online classes to mitigate the adverse effects of the extreme heat to educators and learners.
The UP Diliman Office of the Chancellor noted that the extreme heat will still be experienced in the coming days.
“In view of the concerns raised by the UPD University Student Council regarding extreme heat in Metro Manila in the coming days, faculty members whose class activities may be done online are requested to consider shifting to remote and/or asynchronous modes of learning during extreme heat conditions,” the Office of the Chancellor said.
In a separate advisory, the UPLB Office of the Chancellor requested its faculty members “to consider shifting to remote and/or asynchronous modes of learning during extreme heat conditions on April 11 and 13.”
“Those who cannot shift modes are requested to implement measures to mitigate the extreme heat during class hours,” it added.
In the province of Zambales, Mayor Elmer Soria of San Marcelino town suspended classes at all levels in public and private schools today due to anticipated high index rate.
According to PAGASA, Zambales, specifically Iba town, is forecast to have an “extreme caution” level heat index of 40 degrees Celsius today.
Soria suspended the classes on the recommendation of the municipal disaster risk reduction and management office.
“This decision is made due to the anticipated unconducive learning environment for our learners caused by the projected high heat index in the municipality, ranging from 39 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius per DOST-PAGASA database, aggravated by the municipal-wide power interruption of ZAMECO II (Zambales II Electric Cooperative) due to preventive maintenance of substations from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m,” said Soria in an order.
“We encourage school administrations to lead in making alternative methods available to ensure that learning objectives and competencies are still met by our learners during this period,” he added.
The Department of Education has earlier said more than 5,200 schools nationwide have suspended face-to-face classes amid the hot temperature.
The DepEd has said school officials have the authority to suspend in-person classes due to extreme heat.
WORK INSPECTIONS
Meanwhile, the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition (NAGKAISA) yesterday urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to closely monitor the actual working conditions of employees amid the extreme heat prevailing across the country.
In a statement, NAGKAISA said it would be better if DOLE personnel will get an actual picture on the health and safety conditions of workers in the workplace.
“We are now amplifying our call for action with a comprehensive strategy to mitigate the impacts of extreme heat on workers,” said NAGKAISA, adding: “The regional offices of the Department of Labor and Employment should inspect workers and their work environments in industries particularly impacted by extreme heat.”
The labor coalition said such acts aim to ensure adherence to safety and health standards by the employers.
It said the government must make sure that employers are adopting mitigating measures against the effects of extreme heat, including providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and free access to water.
NAGKAISA said there must also be alternative work arrangements, especially for workers like construction workers, street sweepers, and delivery riders, who are most vulnerable to heat exposure.
The DOLE has already reminded businesses to employ policies that will help reduce the adverse effects of heat in workplaces.
EL NIÑO AID
In a related development, Sen. Win Gatchalian yesterday urged the government to fast-track financial assistance for farmers adversely affected by the El Niño phenomenon, noting PAGASA’s forecast that the dry spell will further intensify and could reach its peak this month.
“It is important that we have funds to provide the necessary support to protect our farmers’ investments and to revive their crops. We have to be ready to aid our agriculture sector, especially the rice sector, to guarantee the availability and supply of agricultural products,” Gatchalian said.
Citing data provided by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the Task Force El Niño said the dry spell has affected more than 50,000 rice farmers, most of whom are planting rice.
Data from the Department of Agriculture (DA) also show that the estimated cost of agricultural damage because of El Niño has reached P2.63 billion to date and drove almost 20 local government units to declare states of calamities in their respective areas.
“The disruption of El Niño on the agriculture sector could be devastating to the economy and to our farmers as we have seen in previous El Niño episodes and thus the need for a timely release of fund support for farmers in areas affected by El Niño,” Gatchalian said.
“We might have a shortage of rice because of the intense heat. And the Department of Agriculture should take a good look at our rice supply now and in the next 6 months. And if we have no choice, it is important that we have access to imported rice from Vietnam, India, or other countries,” he added.
Gatchalian said the principal agencies that form the Task Force El Niño have their regular budgets and a quick response fund. If these fall short, the budget can be sourced through other avenues through the appropriate process as long as it is approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
“Let’s take action on the problem. Because if this El Niño worsens, many things will be affected such as electricity, food, and livelihood,” he said. — With Ashzel Hachero, Gerard Naval and Raymond Africa
