Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez on Tuesday, May 21, reminded all school principals and school administrators to exercise sound judgment and discretion in dealing with extreme heat situations.
They should take into consideration the health and safety of students, Caesar Distrito, the mayor’s spokesman, said.
The school officials have the authority to suspend classes and shift to other modalities of learning as stated in Department of Education Memorandum 037 series of 2022, he added.
The forecasted heat index for Wednesday, May 22, is 43 degrees Celsius, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.
On Tuesday it was at 42 degrees Celsius.
PAGASA said 42 to 51 degrees Celsius are considered danger levels that can cause heat cramps and heat exhaustion. Heat stroke is probable with continued exposure to the sun, it added.*