Too hot to resist

By HANNAH MYLENE EUGENIO

The world is a domino chain lined in a meticulous order, so when one subsystem falls out of balance, the entire system falls with it. From melting ice caps to raging wildfires, from rising temperatures to extreme weather events, the growing struggle of staying outside for longer than 30 minutes without getting extremely dehydrated — all these are indicators of Earth being in crisis. A domino is getting nearer to the possibility of falling as climate change is no longer a distant threat but our present reality. This is especially evident as the heat index reaches alarmingly new heights.

Heat index is the “apparent temperature” as it is how hot it feels to the human body when the effects of humidity are factored in with the actual air temperature. This is calculated by taking the ambient temperature and relative humidity into consideration. Higher levels of humidity makes it more difficult for the body to cool down through sweating which results in heat related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

The effects of climate change is evident across the globe, however, the Philippines has emerged as one of the countries that has grown more susceptible towards climate change’s damaging consequences. The weather bureau Pagasa recorded the hottest day felt as of the year — on May 12, when the ”heat index” reached 50°C in Legazpi, nearly reaching the ”extremely dangerous” point. The following provinces have been under the state weather bureau’s “danger” classification, possibly indicating higher cases of heat cramps, heat exhaustion and the deadly heat stroke which could be probable with continued exposure.

going to school. Some are commuters and commuting and driving during the summer season is rather a difficult and challenging task to do” Mizhelle Kryzia Moises said. With the heat indices rising to half the boiling point, Pagasa warns that reaching a heat index between 41°C and 54°C brings catastrophic consequences to our health and the environment.

Weather specialist Daniel James Villamil reported to Inquirer that since the Philippines is a tropical country the heat will be interrupted by local thunderstorms that could result in cooler weather.

Bear in mind that most of these classrooms don’t have enough ventilation to cool up the room which makes it more conducive to focus on studying.

Evidence from several studies conducted by economists Jisung Park and Joshua Goodman indicated that heat not only puts the students’ health at risk but also their grades in jeopardy. This reflects the lack of foresight, poor planning, and inadequate budget allocation of the government to the education sector.

Ultimately, public schools are not ready for the extreme heat.

Filipinos are known to be resilient. But putting the health of the students in the line of following academic standards considering the natural condition of the country should be the least priority.

The reversion of the old school calendar and the current extreme heat problem in schools could eventually address the issue.

The government must also hand in hand find solutions for these extremely hot situations considering the needs and welfare of the students.

They should come up with a more comprehensive and sustainable solution that takes into account the long-term effects of the pandemic and the changing climate. ■

This also brings into focus the student’s increasing struggle to cope with the scorching heat. Late April this year, the Department of Education (DepEd) gave school heads the authority to call-off in-person classes to safeguard the health of their students and staff. School authorities were given a set of options in regards to the possible schedules they could undertake as long as learners are provided with self-learning modules.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) on the other hand, suggested that this may only be a “temporary solution.” Raymond Basillo, the ACT secretary-general, made a statement on Inquirer that they are urging DepEd to revert back to the old school calendar where classes start in June.

Students were also unable to escape the smoldering heat, as the adverse effects of the rising temperature cannot be ignored any longer.

They say that it would be best to bring back the original school year calendar since it also aligns with national holidays and the school community’s events. “Not only that, it is also important to consider that not all Brisayanos have their own private means of

Climate change quickly penetrates the core of humanity and as overwhelming as this may all seem, these climate events are our signal to take action.

A collective effort from the government, businesses and us could go a long way in preventing the irreversible effects of climate change. Much like dominos cascading in a line, the earth is about to lose its balance but when the right strategies are taken we could restore it, one domino at a time. ■ ■