Los Baños map. | INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — The Los Baños municipal government in Laguna has directed its schools and universities to shift to online classes or adopt modular learning on Monday and Tuesday, April 29 and April 30, due to extreme heat.
“Because of the extraordinary heat, all public and private schools will temporarily have no face-to-face classes for the safety of students,” the municipal government said in an advisory in Filipino posted on Sunday evening.
READ: DepEd to public schools: Hold online classes from April 29 to 30
“Please stay at home and drink water to avoid the effects of extreme heat,” it advised .
Aside from Los Baños, the Department of Education (DepEd) earlier instructed public schools nationwide to implement an asynchronous learning mode during the same period due to extreme heat and the upcoming transport strike by Piston.
DepEd added that public school teaching and non-teaching personnel are also “not required to report to their respective stations.”
Based on the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration’s (Pagasa) latest heat index, Iba in Zambales reached the “extreme danger” level on Sunday at 53°C.
According to Ana Liza Solis, officer in charge of Pagasa’s Climatology and Agrometeorology Division, temperatures under “extreme danger” reach 52°C and above. She explained that this may likely cause heatstroke, especially for people exposed directly to sunlight.
Aside from Iba in Zambales, 46 other areas reached a heat index of 42 to 51°C, which falls under the “danger” category. Under this level, the heat would likely cause heat cramps and exhaustion, while heat stroke is probable.
On the other hand, transport group Piston announced last April 27 that it would conduct another nationwide strike from April 29 to May 1 in protest of the April 30 franchise consolidation deadline.