THE Department of Education (DepEd) yesterday ordered the conduct of distance learning in all public schools in the country today and tomorrow as it suspended in-person classes due to extremely hot temperatures and the planned three-day transport strike nationwide.
The DepEd Central Office said in an announcement: “In view of the latest heat index forecast of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, and the announcement of a nationwide transport strike, all public schools nationwide shall implement asynchronous classes/distance learning on April 29 and 30, 2024.”
The PAGASA yesterday said 32 areas in the country are forecast to experience a danger level heat index today, with Aparri town in Cagayan projected to peak at 46 degrees.
On the other hand, the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators Nationwide IPISTON) announced over the weekend it will hold a three-day nationwide strike in protest of Tuesday’s deadline for operators and jeepney drivers to consolidate in compliance with the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program.
The DepEd said teaching and non-teaching personnel in all public schools shall not be required to report to their respective stations today and tomorrow.
However, it said that “activities organized by Regional and Schools Division Offices, such as Regional Athletic Association Meets and other division or school level programs to be conducted on the aforementioned dates may push through as scheduled, provided that measures for the safety of all participants have been carefully considered.”
It said private schools have the option to implement the same.
As of April 25, the DepEd said 7,188 schools out of the 47,678 schools nationwide had suspended face-to-face classes due to the extreme summer heat, with schools opting to hold distance or alternative learning mode.
DANGER LEVEL
The weather bureau said that aside from Aparri town, Dagupan City in Pangasinan, Tuguegarao City in Cagayan, Tanauan town in Batangas, Coron and Aborlan towns in Palawan, San Jose town in Occidental Mindoro, Virac town in Catanduanes, and Roxas City in Capiz will have a heat index of 45 degrees today.
Twenty-three other areas are expected to have a heat index ranging from 42 to 44 degrees, including Quezon City and Pasay City in Metro Manila, Sinait in Ilocos Sur, Laoag City in Ilocos Norte, Batac in Ilocos Norte, Bacnotan town in La Union, Bayombong town in Nueva Vizcaya, Echague town in Isabela, Tayabas City in Quezon, Sangley Point in Cavite, Puerto Princesa City in Palawan, Legazpi City in Albay, Pili town in Camarines Sur, Mambusao town in Capiz, Iloilo City and Dumangas town in Iloilo, La Carlota City in Negros Occidental, Guiuan town in Eastern Samar, Maasin town in Southern Leyte, Dipolog City in Zamboanga Del Norte, Zamboanga City in Zamboanga Del Sur, Davao City in Davao Del Sur and Butuan City, Agusan Del Norte.
A heat index ranging from 42 to 51 degrees Celsius has been classified by PAGASA under the danger level. It said heat cramps and heat exhaustion are likely to be experienced by residents, while heat stroke is possible under this condition.
PAGASA defines heat index as the “measure of the contribution that high humidity makes with abnormally high temperatures in reducing the body’s ability to cool itself.”
EL NIÑO
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) yesterday said it has distributed more than P88.7 million worth of food assistance and other non-food relief items to 2.529 million persons, or 604,470 families, who have been adversely affected by the El Niño weather phenomenon.
Data from the DSWD-Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) showed that 3,428 barangays from Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Mimaropa), Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen, Cordillera Administrative Region, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have received food packs and other non-food relief items.
DSWD-DROMIC, quoting a PAGASA report, said that “by April 2024, El Niño across the tropical Pacific Ocean continues to weaken and is expected to persist until March-April-May (MAM) 2024 season,” and that there is a 62 percent chance that La Niña will develop during the June-July-August (JJA) 2024 season.
The DSWD-DROMIC said the department still has P2.63 billion worth of cash (P84.96 million) and stockpiles of food and non-food items (P2.278 billion) on standby and ready for distribution when needed.
Data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRMC) show that as of April 28, 107 cities and municipalities in the country have already declared a state of calamity due to the effects of El Niño, the last of which was Buenavista in Guimaras that made the declaration last April 26.
The 107 also includes the five provinces that declared a province-wide state of calamity, namely, Occidental Mindoro, Antique, Sultan Kudarat, Basilan and Maguindanao del Sur.
FOREIGN AID
Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III said the country’s foreign allies should extend assistance beyond military cooperation and aid the Philippines in addressing the “most severe drought in its history.”
“It’s time to prove US-Japan-PH ties go beyond military… It is high time for them to show their sincere concern for our welfare. To dispel any notion their engagement is solely military-focused, it is crucial for them to showcase to the world, especially the critics, that they are really concerned about Filipinos. Show that our relationship is not confined to military matters alone,” Pimentel said in a statement.
Pimentel made the call after the United Nations called for increased international support to the Philippines in dealing with the dire consequences of one of the strongest episodes of El Niño in the country’s history.
Amid the threat of widespread devastation, Pimentel said there is an urgent need for the country’s key allies to show their true concern for the welfare of Filipinos by providing substantial support to address the crisis and bolster the nation’s economy and livelihood.
“Help us with our economy and people’s livelihoods instead of missiles, submarines, frigates, etc. Instead of going to our military bases, go to areas afflicted by extreme drought and extend help. This can dispel any perception that you are here to turn the Philippines into a battleground,” Pimentel said.
“The real battle we face is this El Niño and how we Filipinos will survive this prolonged drought,” he also said, adding that while tensions in the West Philippine Sea are serious threats, ensuring recovery of Filipinos in the aftermath of El Niño is more important.
POWER SUPPLY
For his part, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian urged the Department of Energy to compel power plant owners to immediately fix their broken facilities to address the shortage in the supply of electricity amid the extreme heat.
In an interview with radio dzBB, Gatchalian said the DOE should have a dialogue with power plant owners and “force” them to immediately fix the problems to ensure there is sufficient supply and reserve of electricity especially since there is a high demand for power because of the dangerous heat indexes.
The DOE has reported that 47 power plants have stopped operations within 30 days due to various reasons.
“Kung ako nga ang secretary, kakausapin ko yung mga may-ari ng planta, mag commit kayo, patakbuhin niyo yung mga planta na iyon. Kung kailangan bumili ng spare parts, magpalipad kayo ng tao sa ibang bansa para kumuha ng spare parts (If I am the [energy] secretary I will talk to the owners of the power plants, get their commitments that they will operate their power plants. If they need to buy spare parts, let them send someone abroad to buy them),” Gatchalian said.
Aside from quickly fixing the power plants, he said the Energy Regulatory Commission should see to it that appropriate penalties and fines are imposed on power plants that have experienced unscheduled power outages.
He said another way for the government to ease the effects of the summer heat is to perform cloudseeding operations.
“Gumawa tayo ng ibang paraan para umulan dahil kailangan natin ng ulan para patakbuhin itong mga hydropower plants natin (We must find other ways to make it rain so we can run these hydropower plants),” he said. — With Victor Reyes, Jocelyn Montemayor, Raymond Africa
