MANILA, Philippines — Police, fire, and jail officers can now wear light uniforms when they are on duty to ease discomfort caused by scorching heat, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said.
“To ease the working conditions of uniformed personnel amid rising heat index across the country, Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos on Friday said police, fire, and jail officers can wear light uniforms in the performance of their duties,” the department said in a statement on Saturday.
Abalos emphasized that “the welfare of our uniformed personnel comes first especially as they perform their sworn duty.”
“So amid the extreme heat in our country, wearing of light and comfortable uniforms is the way to go,” he added.
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The order is in relation to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration’s (Pagasa) warning that the dangerous heat index in various parts of the country will persist until mid-May.
It was issued through an urgent memorandum dated April 25 and addressed to Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Major General Rommel Francisco Marbil, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Director Louie Puracan, and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Chief Ruel Rivera.
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The three agencies were also tasked with issuing an advisory for all their personnel to wear light uniforms when carrying out their respective duties.
“The tri-bureau’s line of work already poses a lot of risks, now coupled with the hazards of extreme heat temperature, so we also need to protect our uniformed personnel from the PNP, BFP and BJMP,” Abalos said.
To prevent the effects of sweltering weather, Pagasa said the public must limit time spent outdoors; drink plenty of water; avoid tea, coffee, soda, and liquor; use umbrellas, wear hats, and wear sleeved clothing outdoors; and schedule heavy-duty activities on the cooler periods of the day.
It added that symptoms of heat-related illnesses include heavy sweating, exhaustion or fatigue, dizziness or lightheadedness, blacking out or feeling dizzy when standing, a weak but fast pulse, nausea, and vomiting.
In cases of emergency, Pagasa advised the following:
- Move the person to a shady spot and lie him or her down with legs elevated
- If conscious, have them sip cool water
- Remove clothing, apply cool water to the skin, and provide ventilation
- Apply ice packs to the armpits, wrists, ankles, and groin
- Bring to a hospital immediately