MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) said on Saturday, April 22, that schools may shift to remote learning during times of extreme heat as the country experiences a hot dry season.

“The principals/school heads have been reminded of their authority and responsibility to suspend in-person classes and switch to alternative delivery modes kung napakainit at nakakasama na sa health ng ating mga mag-aaral at personnel (if the weather is too hot and if it will affect students’ and personnel’s health), Michael Poa, DepEd spokesman told reporters.

Poa said that this was already contained in a DepEd memorandum given to school heads.

“Iba-iba po kasi ang situation ng ating mga paaralan. Kaya school heads po ang mag-de-determine. Ayaw rin po nating makaapekto sa kalusugan ng ating mga learners ang napakainit na panahon, kaya po pinaalalahan natin ang mga school heads na maaari silang mag-switch agad sa ADM [alternative delivery modes],” he added.

(Each school has a different situation. That’s why it would be the schools who will determine. We don’t want that this hot weather will affect the health of students, and that’s why we’re reminding our school heads to switch to ADMs immediately.)

Schools in the country have reverted to in-person classes after two school years of distance learning due to the pandemic.

Weather bureau PAGASA had warned that the country may experience even warmer days ahead. PAGASA said that a heat index of 44°C was recorded in Catarman, Northern Samar and Virac, Catanduanes and 43°C at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Saturday.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Senate committee chairman on basic education, urged the DepEd to revert the school break to April to May amid the hot season. – Rappler.com