In Albay, classes suspended anew due to intense heat

INQUIRER FILES

LEGAZPI CITY—In-person classes in Albay province were suspended again due to the intense heat attributed to the El Niño phenomenon and the dry season.

In an advisory on Sunday, Albay Gov. Edcel Greco Lagman said in-person classes at all levels, including the graduate level, in private and public schools would be suspended starting on Monday, April 22, until lifted.

All the school heads were advised to implement alternative learning modalities for elementary and high school students while tertiary and postgraduate classes will have online setup.

The public was also advised to minimize outdoor activities to avoid health-related illnesses.

Since the start of April, onsite or in-person classes in some towns in the province were suspended due to the rising heat index, which hit from 41 to 44 degrees Celsius based on the record of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

In the forecast of Pagasa, the heat index would possibly reach 41 C in Albay, Catanduanes and Masbate on Monday while Camarines Sur would experience 42 C.

Lagman said there would be no suspension of work, but the elderly were advised to “secure work arrangements that will ensure that they stay indoors.”

Heat indices in the country will soon hit levels of “extreme danger” in the coming days and next month, Ana Liza Solis, officer in charge of Pagasa’s Climatology and Agrometeorology Division, warned on Thursday.

In a television interview, Solis said that the heat index in some parts of the country was projected to reach 52 C when summer peaks next month. — INQ