INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Several local government units have either suspended classes or shifted to asynchronous learning on Friday, March 7, due to the extreme heat.
The hot weather prompted the local leaders in the following areas to suspend classes or shift to distance learning:
National Capital Region
- Manila – Preschool to senior high school, public only (Afternoon face-to-face classes only; schools advised to shift to alternative learning modalities)
Ilocos Region
- Calasiao, Pangasinan – All levels, public and private
- Mangaldan, Pangasinan – All levels, public and private
- Santa Barbara, Pangasinan – Preschool to high school, public and private (Afternoon face-to-face classes only; schools advised to shift modular or blended learning)
Cordillera Administrative Region
- Abra – All levels, public and private (Face-to-face classes only; schools advised to shift to alternative learning modalities)
Cagayan Valley
- Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya – Preschool to senior high school, public only (Face-to-face classes only; schools advised to shift to modular or other alternative learning modalities)
- Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya – All levels, public only (Face-to-face classes only; schools advised to shift to modular or other alternative learning modalities)
- Dupax del Sur, Nueva Vizcaya – All levels, public and private (Face-to-face classes only)
Central Luzon
- Balagtas, Bulacan – All levels, public and private (Face-to-face classes only; alternative delivery mode to be implemented)
- Baliwag, Bulacan – All levels, public and private (Face-to-face classes only; alternative learning mode to be implemented)
- Bulakan, Bulacan – All levels, public and private (Face-to-face classes only; alternative delivery mode to be implemented)
- Bustos, Bulacan – All levels, public and private (Afternoon face-to-face classes only)
- Calumpit, Bulacan – All levels, public and private (Face-to-face classes only; alternative delivery mode to be implemented)
- Guiguinto, Bulacan – All levels, public and private (Afternoon face-to-face classes only; alternative delivery mode to be implemented)
- Malolos, Bulacan – All levels, public and private (Face-to-face classes only; schools advised to shift to modular or online distance learning)
- Marilao, Bulacan – All levels, public and private (Face-to-face classes only; schools to implement alternative delivery mode)
- Meycauayan, Bulacan – All levels, public and private (Face-to-face classes only; online or asynchronous set-up to be implemented)
- Norzagaray, Bulacan – All levels, public and private (Face-to-face classes only; asynchronous or distance learning modalities to be implemented)
- Paombong, Bulacan – All levels, public and private (Face-to-face classes only; schools advised to shift to alternative delivery mode)
- Plaridel, Bulacan – Pre-school to senior high school, public only (Afternoon face-to-face classes only; alternative delivery mode to be implemented)
- San Jose del Monte, Bulacan – Kinder to senior high school, public only (Face-to-face classes only; alternative delivery mode to be implemented)
- San Rafael, Bulacan – All levels, public and private (Face-to-face classes only)
- Santa Maria, Bulacan – All levels, public and private (Face-to-face classes only; online or asynchronous set-up to be implemented)
- San Antonio, Nueva Ecija – All levels, public and private
- Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija – All levels, public and private (Face-to-face classes only; modular distance learning to be implemented)
- Candaba, Pampanga – All levels, public and private (Afternoon face-to-face classes only; schools advised to shift to alternative learning delivery mode)
Mimaropa
- San Jose, Occidental Mindoro – All levels, public and private (Face-to-face classes only)
Many areas nationwide are bracing for a heat index ranging from 33 to 41 degrees Celsius on Friday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
Furthermore, these five areas nationwide are seen to have dangerous levels of heat index at 42 degrees Celsius on Friday:
Dagupan City in Pangasinan; Iba, Zambales; Tanauan, Batangas; San Jose, Occidental Mindoro; and Cuyo, Palawan.
Behind the danger category are “extreme caution,” ranging from 33-41 degrees Celsius and “caution” at 27-32 degrees Celsius.
“Extreme danger,” or the highest category of heat index level, is declared when the heat index temperature reaches 52 degrees Celsius and beyond.
The heat index measures the level of discomfort an average person experiences due to combined effects of the temperature and air humidity.