Heatwave shuts down schools in nearly half of Manila
A student uses a paper bag to protect himself from the heat as he leaves school in Manila on Mar 3, 2025, after classes were suspended due to extreme heat. (Photo: AFP/Jam STA ROSA)
MANILA: Soaring temperatures shut down schools in nearly half of Manila on Monday (Mar 3), local officials said, as the torrid dry season started in the Philippines.
A national weather service advisory warned that the heat index, a measure of air temperature and relative humidity, was set to reach "danger" levels in Manila and two other areas of the country.
"Heat cramps and heat exhaustion are likely" at that level, the advisory said, warning residents in affected areas to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun.
A heatwave struck large areas of the Philippines in April and May last year, leading to almost daily suspensions of in-person classes, affecting millions of students.
Manila's temperature hit a record 38.8 degrees Celsius on Apr 27 last year.
While temperatures were only expected to hit 33 degrees Celsius on Monday, local governments in Manila and six other districts ordered classrooms closed as a precaution.
The capital region has a student population of more than 2.8 million, according to education department data.
In Manila's Malabon district, education department official Edgar Bonifacio said the suspensions affected more than 68,000 students across 42 schools.
"We were surprised by the heat index advisory," Bonifacio told AFP, adding: "We cannot feel the heat yet outside."
However, due to protocols adopted during last year's heatwave, the district's school superintendent recommended suspending in-person classes.
"Our main concern is we're near the end of the school year (in mid-April)," Bonifacio said. "This would mean a reduction of the number of school days available."
In the Valenzuela district, school official Annie Bernardo told AFP that 69 schools had been instructed to shift to "alternative" learning models, including online classes.
Global average temperatures hit record highs in 2024 and even briefly surpassed the critical 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold.
In January, UN children's agency UNICEF said extreme weather disrupted the schooling of about 242 million children in 85 countries last year, including the Philippines, with heatwaves having the biggest impact.
Human activity, including the unrestricted burning of fossil fuels over decades, has warmed the planet and changed weather patterns.
That has meant wetter wet periods and dryer dry periods, intensifying heat and storms and making populations more vulnerable to disasters.
