Negros Occidental. INQUIRER FILES
BACOLOD CITY — This city and 12 local governments in Negros Occidental suspended in-person classes while nine others left the decision to school officials to protect students from the extreme heat hitting the province on Tuesday, April 2.
The Negros Occidental localities that suspended classes at various levels were Silay, Kabankalan, Bago and Himamaylan cities, and the municipalities of EB Magalona, Hinoba-an, Isabela, Binalbagan, Candoni, Cauayan, Murcia, and Hinigaran.
The mayors of La Carlota, Sipalay, and Victorias cities and the municipalities of Ilog, Moises Padilla, La Castellana, Murcia, and Valladolid left the discretion on the suspension of face-to-face classes to the various school heads.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration forecast the heat index over Negros Occidental at 42 degrees Celsius.
READ: LGUs suspend April 2 in-person classes due to very hot weather
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he was leaving the decisions on the suspension of classes to the mayors and the school officials.
“There are talks that it will get hotter until the end of April,” he said.
Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, president of the Negros Association of Chief Executives, said suspending classes merely offers a temporary fix to a complex issue.
“If we were to follow this path, consider the implications of temperatures spiking again tomorrow or the following week. Would this mean a halt to all school attendance?” he asked.
“Ultimately, the necessity of formal education for our children remains paramount. The most effective approach is to adapt our learning environments to these challenges, making them more suitable for education despite the heat,” he added.
Benitez said he had granted the Victorias City school heads the discretion to make decisions in alignment with the Department of Education’s directives.
“They are in the process of evaluating the availability of fans in classrooms across all schools in Victorias City,” Benitez said.
“They are also relaxing the uniform policy during extreme heat conditions and considering the addition of more water fountains to ensure hydration,” he added.