Just too hot: A teacher arranging papers in an empty classroom at the Justo Lukban Elementary School in Manila. — AP
IN-PERSON lessons at public schools remained suspended in some cities as sweltering heat continued to grip the South-East Asian nation.
Schools in Manila were ordered to remain closed yesterday and today due to the “extreme heat index forecast” and they are “directed to adapt any alternative mode of learning,” Mayor Honey Lacuna said in a statement on Wednesday.
Muntinlupa City in metropolitan Manila also ordered its public schools to remain shut over the same period.
The Philippines closed public schools across the country on Monday and Tuesday due to the heatwave and a jeepney transport strike. Wednesday was a public holiday.
The school closures come as the nation experiences one of its hottest summers on record that’s spurring cooling demand and straining its power supplies. Other countries in the region also saw electricity usage surging to record levels including in Thailand.
The heat index, which measures how an individual feels the temperature when humidity is taken into account, was forecast to hit a high of 47˚C in the Philippines yesterday, according to the nation’s weather agency.
The heat index soared to 53˚C on Sunday, indicating incidents of heat stroke were imminent.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has said rising demand for electricity as people cope with the scorching heat has left the country’s power systems “overloaded”.
The energy regulator said on Tuesday that it will suspend the wholesale electricity spot market as soon as the grid operator warns of thin power supply to tame prices as demand spikes. — Bloomberg
