LAST APRIL 20, the Department of Education issued Memorandum No. 2023-077 reiterating DepEd Order No. 37, s. 2023. This was in consideration of the learners’ well-being who are “affected by extreme climate conditions” as they continue to attend in-person classes until the end of the school year in June.
Titled “Guidelines on the Cancellation or Suspension of Classes and Work in Schools in the Event of Natural Disasters, Power Outages/Power Interruptions, and other Calamities,” DO 37, s. 2023 provides for the implementation of modular learning in the event of canceled or suspended classes due to natural disasters, calamities, and human-induced hazards to ensure learning continuity and that learning competencies and objectives are met.
This is one commendable move from the DepEd as it recognizes the impact of extremely high temperatures both on the delivery of learning and the learners’ well-being. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) noted that the highest heat index so far was felt on April 16 at 49°C in Guiuan, Eastern Samar. This was followed by another high heat index on April 21, recorded in Butuan, Agusan del Norte at 48°C.
The heat index is an indicator of discomfort which an average person experiences due to temperature and humidity. A heat index between 42°C and 51°C is classified by PAGASA as “danger category.”
But we need not wait for a danger category since under the “extreme caution category” of 33°C to 41°C, a person already faces the risk of heat cramps, exhaustion or heat stroke. On the other hand, heat stroke could be imminent under the “extreme danger” classification of 52°C and beyond.
With this informed decision made by the DepEd based on the data provided by PAGASA, two things come to my mind.
First, the persistent clamor to move the opening of classes from June to September due to heavy rains, typhoons, and flooding now becomes a difficult path to take as doing so will mean facing the extremely high weather conditions from March to May. As my old folks would say, “pengilagan me ing duldul, tiran na ka ning kidlat.”
Did you know that in the 1960s, then education secretary, Alejandro R. Roces, implemented this novel idea for two years as an “experiment”? Well, Roces realized its impracticality and abandoned the new schedule because students, their parents and even teachers complained of extreme heat inside the classrooms. As for the objective to maximize student attendance, the schedule proved to be impractical as well. The months of April and May are the harvest season so much so that students in the rural areas had to be in their farms to earn a living than to be in school.
Second, the blended learning modality is here to stay. We fondly referred to the first pandemic school year as the “New Normal.” When we entered the second pandemic school year, we came to realize that this was the “Now Normal.” Despite the return to full in-person classes this SY 2023-2024, schools should be allowed to continue implementing blended learning modality especially when various situations and the context of the learners call for it.
Obviously, our problem is not with the typhoons or floods from June to August, or the extreme heat from March to May. These are part and parcel of our existence because of our country’s location on the globe. At the same time, climate change is real and it is already upon us all. At this point, we can only do so much. One good way to mitigate it is to take serious and consistent steps to study its effects and make the necessary adjustments.
But here is a piece of good news. An accelerated climate change agenda has been included in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028, a strong indication that our government has strengthened its commitment to deliver on key climate actions. Let us do our part in involving ourselves in the realization of the PDP goals in mitigating the staggering effects of climate change on our lives.
In the meantime, keep those fans moving and let us all protect ourselves from the extreme heat of summer.
