The heat index in many parts of the country reached alarming levels as the month of March rolled in, and it is not officially summer yet. The highest observed heat index was 43 degrees Celsius in Pili, Camarines Sur on March 2 and 4 and San Jose, Occidental Mindoro on March 4. On March 2, it reached 42 degrees Celsius in Echague, Isabela; Virac, Catanduanes; and Masbate City; and on March 3, in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, and Legazpi City, Albay on March 4, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
On March 3, 2025, the heat index was forecast to reach a dangerous 46 degrees Celsius, forcing several local government units (LGUs) to suspend face-to-face classes and shift to online learning.
The heat index, also known as the apparent temperature, is what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature. It offers a more accurate measure of how hot it feels as high humidity reduces the body’s ability to cool itself through sweat, making the heat feel more intense.
The public is again reminded of the meaning of the heat index classifications: 27 to 32°C signals “caution,” as fatigue may occur with prolonged exposure or activity; 33 to 41°C indicates “extreme caution;” 42 to 51°C is “danger;” and 52°C and beyond signals “extreme danger” with heatstroke being imminent.
PAGASA has started releasing daily heat index updates at 5 pm. to guide people on their daily activities, especially those at risk of heat-related illnesses such as heatstroke. The heat index monitoring also helps LGUs and schools decide if class suspensions are necessary during extreme heat.
Early this week, the extreme temperature forced several LGUs in Metro Manila -- Manila, Valenzuela, Caloocan, Malabon, Paranaque, Las Pinas, and Pasay – to suspend face-to-face classes and shift to online learning. There is a call from the TDC-National Capital Region Teachers Union (TDC-NCRTU) for government to establish unified and consistent guidelines for automatic class suspensions due to extreme temperatures.
Department of Education (DepEd) Order No. 22 issued in December 2024 outlines the revised guidelines for class suspensions during disasters and emergencies which include extreme heat conditions. But while the order allows class suspensions when the heat index reaches a critical level, it “leaves the decision” to individual LGUs. The group urged the DepEd to take the lead in coordinating with local governments to formulate a scheme that ensures the safety of all students and school personnel across Metro Manila, not just in selected areas.
Many public schools in the Philippines are not equipped to handle extreme temperatures. Crowded classrooms, lack of proper ventilation, and limited access to cooling equipment make learning conditions unbearable during heat waves. The government must invest in upgrading school infrastructure by installing cooling units in classrooms, or improving natural ventilation through window redesigns and heat-resistant roofing.
It is not only the students’ safety that needs to be addressed. The general public, among them the workers who have to commute to work, or whose work involves exposure to the sun (like traffic aides and street cleaners) should also be given protection from extreme heat.
The extreme heat conditions in Metro Manila highlight the urgent need for a national heat emergency response plan. DepEd, PAGASA, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) must work together to establish standardized protocols for class suspensions or special protection for work due to extreme temperatures.
A clear, science-based, and well-coordinated response is necessary to adapt to a warming world and safeguard the well-being of all Filipinos.