16 towns under El Niño state of calamity
BY ASHZEL HACHERO and VICTOR REYES
IN-PERSON classes in several areas in the country were suspended yesterday due to extremely high temperatures caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon.
The local governments of Iloilo City, and Kabangkalan and E.B. Magalona in Negros Occidental have announced the cancellation of face-to-face classes on April 1 and 2.
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas issued Executive Order No. 047 on Sunday, suspending preschool to senior high school in-person classes in public and private schools yesterday and today after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) issued a high heat index forecast of 41 and 42 degrees Celsius in the city.
Treñas said the class suspensions may be extended beyond today if the heat index forecast will remain above 40 degrees Celsius.
He added that classes at the collegiate level, including graduate school, may be canceled or suspended at the discretion of their respective school heads or administrators.
Heat index is the measure of the temperature that a person feels, which is different from the actual air temperature. It is computed using the humidity and air temperatures.
PAGASA said a heat index of 33 to 41 degrees Celsius is classified as “extreme caution,” while 42 to 51 degrees is classified as “danger.”
In Kabangkalan and E.B. Magalona, both in Negros Occidental, F2F classes are suspended in all levels in public and private schools until today.
Aside from Iloilo City and the two towns in Negros Occidental, in-person classes were also canceled yesterday in the following areas: Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental(all levels, public and private schools); Bacolod City (preschool to senior high school, public and private); Roxas City (preschool to senior high school, public and private); and Silay City, Negros Occidental (all levels, public and private).
Classes in all levels both in public and private schools are also suspended until today in Cauayan, Negros Occidental; Bago City, Negros Occidental; and Isabela, Negros Occidental.
In Tantangan, South Cotabato, the local government unit declared half-day classes from April 1 to April 15 on all levels in public and private schools.
In an updated list released Monday afternoon, the Department of Education (DepEd) said schools in Dagupan City, Pangasinan also announced a suspension of in-person classes from April 2 to 4.
There will likewise be no F2F classes from April 2 to 4 in Dumangas in Iloilo, Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental, Pagadian City Pilot School and Buenavista Integrated School in the Zamboanga Peninsula, and the municipality of Banga in South Cotabato.
PAGASA said the highest temperature recorded so far this year was 38.4 degrees Celsius in Tuguegarao City in Cagayan last Sunday.
The second highest was 38.3 degrees Celsius in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro also last Sunday.
STATE OF CALAMITY
Task Force El Niño spokesman Joey Villarama yesterday said 16 towns have already declared a state of calamity due to El Niño, including all of the 11 towns of Occidental Mindoro.
The other five areas under a state of calamity are Mansalay and Bulalacao both in Oriental Mindoro, San Andres in Romblon, Mayoyao in Ifugao, and Zamboanga City.
Bulalacao was the first to declare a state of calamity in February due to the prolonged drought that has affected their farmers.
In an interview with the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon program of state television PTV 4, Villarama said that at present, the most affected province is Occidental Mindoro as all its towns are heavily affected by El Niño.
Villarama said almost all of the more than 80 provinces in the country are expected to be affected in varying degrees by the El Niño by the end of April.
He said some areas would experience drought, dry spells or dry conditions.
“Ang projection ng PAGASA is iyong 80 po na lalawigan by the end of April is more or less may epekto, although iba-iba ang impact nito [The projection of PAGASA is that the 80 provinces, by the end of April, will be more or less affected, although with varying impact],” he said.
Villarama said the task force is keeping a close eye on Regions I (Ilocos), II (Cagayan Valley), III (Central Luzon), IV-A (Calabarzon), IV-B (Mimaropa), VI (Western Visayas), IX (Zamboanga Peninsula) and XII (Soccsksargen).
Villarama said that as of March 25, El Niño’s damage to the agricultural sector has reached P1.75 billion which translates to about 32,231 hectares of farmlands that are affected by El Niño.
He said about 79 percent of these affected areas still have a “chance to be salvaged or recovered,” while crops from the 21 percent that can no longer be salvaged can be used as feed for animals.
Villarama reassured the public that the government has put in place mitigation measures to assist those affected, especially the farmers, from insurance and financial loans to provisions of high-value seeds for high-value crops.
He said some local government units have also been requesting for alternative ways of getting water to their agricultural lands like the dissecting of shallow tube wells or diversion from communal irrigation system.
BLENDED LEARNING
DepEd assistant secretary and deputy spokesperson Francis Cesar Bringas said they are monitoring the situation in coordination with their regional offices.
“We will update the list within the day as reports from the regions are still coming in,” Bringas said, adding that only in-person or F2F classes are suspended.
He said schools may shift to blended learning. “They are all on alternative delivery mode. Only face to face is suspended,” he said.
Last month, Bringas reiterated the DepEd reminder that school heads have the authority to suspend classes due to extreme heat brought by the El Nino phenomenon.
“Since they are the school managers, meron silang ganoong authority na naibigay sa kanila at ine-expect natin (they havethe authority to [suspend classes] and we expect them to do that… (we expect) they will exercise very wise discretion when it comes to suspension of classes,” Bringas has said.
He said schools may also switch to alternative distance mode or blended learning if the environment is not conducive to learning.
Treñas urged school officials to “implement appropriate measures to ensure the health and safety of students and staff within school premises.”
He said this includes the “adoption of alternative learning delivery modes” such as modular and online classes in lieu of face-to-face classes.
“Learners are advised to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, stay indoors especially during the hottest part of the day, wear lightweight, breathable clothing and avoid strenuous activities during peak heat hours,” Treñas also said.
Bringas advised students to wear more comfortable clothing, aside from their regular uniforms, to enable them to cope with the heat while they are inside their classrooms.
Last year, more than 100 students of the Gulod National High School-Mamatid Extension in Cabuyao, Laguna were hospitalized after showing signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion after taking part in a surprise fire drill in the searing afternoon heat.
SHORTENED CLASSES
Meanwhile, the group Teachers Dignity Coalition National urged the DepEd to do something to alleviate the suffering of teachers and learners feeling the impact of the extreme heat.
Teachers Dignity Coalition National chairperson Benjo Basas said the department should not wait for a repeat of last year’s incident where many students fell ill due to the hot weather while there were also recorded teachers’ absences due to health concerns.
Among the measures that DepEd should implement, Basas said, is to shorten class hours to mitigate the impact of heat during school days, and to accelerate the transition to the old school calendar by ending the 2024-2025 school year by mid-April next year to facilitate a faster transition.
Basas said under the current DepEd plan, schools will only revert to the old school calendar, wherein classes starts in June and ends in March, two or even three years from now.
The DepEd issued last February an order adjusting the end of the current school year from June 15 to May 31.
The same order also set the opening and closing dates for school year 2024-2025 at July 16, 2024 and May 16, 2025, respectively.
Aside from this, Basas also reiterated the group’s appeal for DepEd to suspend the implementation of the reading intervention program Catch Up Fridays. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
