Extreme Heat in The Philippines Hindering Efforts to Improve Education

Author: Dian Kencana
May 1, 2024

Students in Manila use hand and electric fans due to extreme heat. (REUTERS)

SEAToday.com, Manila-The extreme heat lingering over the Philippines since around March 2024 has already disrupted many sectors, including agriculture, water and power supply, businesses, and especially the education sector.

This sector hasn’t recovered much since the COVID pandemic in 2020 when years of inadequate remote learning practices pushed many Filipino students to struggle in math, science, and reading which is deemed one of the worst in the world.

The heatwave which reaches fifty degrees Celsius in some regions has once again pushed more than three-point-six million students to learn from home as children are particularly vulnerable to the long-term extreme heat which can cause dizziness, vomiting, and fainting.

Many schools in the Philippines are not equipped with air conditioners to deal with the heatwave that is expected to occur until May 2024, which forced them to suspend their in-person classes temporarily.

A lot of teachers and students across the country have expressed their concerns about difficulties in remote learning especially in poorer areas when internet connectivity and adequate learning environments are difficult to achieve.

“The LGU (Local Government Unit) and the dept-ed (Department of Education) also declared no face-to-face classes because it’s so hard for the pupils to cope with this kind of weather,” said Reynora Victoria Laurenciano, one of the Elementary School Principal in Manila.

This heatwave is part of a larger phenomenon that occurs across South and Southeast Asia due to El Nino and climate change. The Philippines itself is one of the countries which particularly prone to climate change.