Pagasa sees delayed rainy season
People walk with umbrellas during a heatwave in Manila on April 29, 2024. Unusually hot weather in the Philippines was expected to last until mid-May, a forecaster said April 28, after the temperature hit a record high in the capital Manila. Ted ALJIBE / AFP
THE beginning of the rainy season will likely be delayed until the last week of June, affecting agriculture, water supply and weather patterns, the state-run weather bureau said Tuesday.
At a Senate hearing, Marcelino Villafuerte, deputy administrator of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), said it is a direct result of the effects of the El Niño weather phenomenon, which brings drier conditions to affected areas.
The El Niño will likely be followed by the La Niña phenomenon, and thunderstorms can be expected in the middle of May amid the scorching weather.
Villafuerte told the Senate Committee on Basic Education there is no basis yet for using the heat index to cancel classes, unlike typhoons.
Nevertheless, since 2013, Pagasa has been posting heat index information on its website and other social media sites.
Villafuerte said this wasn’t too important in the past under the old academic calendar when students went on summer break during April and May, the hottest months of the year.
On the other hand, Education Assistant Secretary Francis Cesar Bringas said the department had issued a class cancellation order last year in the middle of a heat wave in April.
He said the department also gave schools the authority to shift to online classes, even if the local government units do not suspend classes.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, who presided over the hearing, commended the Department of Education, particularly the teachers and school officials, for doing everything to ensure students’ and teachers’ safety and health while amid extreme heat conditions.
Gatchalian said there are almost 7,600 schools that have been affected by the shift in climate.
“We should also learn from this and look at some short-term solutions. How do we continue teaching and learning under this condition? What are schools doing to adjust to this condition? What are our medium-term and long-term solutions to adapt to this new normal of climate change?” he said.
He emphasized that teaching and learning “should continue in every situation.”
Also on Tuesday, Sen. Bong Revilla emphasized the crucial role of the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority in ensuring the country is ready for La Niña.
“The rainy season is fast approaching. And we are wary of the impending La Niña phenomenon that will bring heavier rains than usual,” Revilla said.
“Now is the best time to ensure that all waterways are clean and the drains are not blocked,” said Revilla, who heads the Senate Committee on Public Works.
“This is why we are reminding them to prepare adequately,” he said.
“Let’s act now while it’s not yet raining heavily. Let’s do everything possible to ensure we’re prepared for a disaster. Take advantage of the current dry season. Don’t wait for the storm to arrive before scrambling to act,” he said.