The Heat is On

It should be rainy at this time of year. Traditionally, this is the season of one typhoon or low-pressure area after another. I’m not complaining. It is remarkably beneficial that we in Bicol have been spared from torrential rains lately. But at the same time, we seem to be experiencing what I would call a “dry-season extension.” PAGASA has been warning about El Niño, and prolonged heat and dryness during a season we normally associate with rain certainly feel unusual.

Sometimes, while riding a tricycle, I find myself positioned directly facing the sun and realize that this isn’t exactly tropical paradise. This is tormentingly painful.

The Climate Change Commission (CCC) has urged schools and government agencies to consider adjusting their schedules in preparation for the effects of El Niño. Commissioner Albert dela Cruz suggested holding classes from 6:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and avoiding activities between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., when temperatures may be particularly high.

It was only recently that DepEd reverted to a June-to-March school calendar after years of having the school year begin in August. Now, it seems that the heat is chasing the school year. It may have run away from the March-to-May season, but unusually strong El Niño conditions could bring uncomfortable temperatures into months traditionally associated with rain.

Where’s the fire exit? Or, in this case, the heat exit?

I actually appreciate that a government agency is thinking outside the box and proposing that school schedules be adjusted to avoid the worst heat of the day. This is proactivity. This is innovation in changing times.

There can be a tendency in institutions—not only in the Philippines—to cling to established routines even when circumstances change. Filipinos are certainly capable of innovation and technological adaptation. However, traditional practices, social conformity, respect for established norms, and reluctance to challenge the status quo can sometimes slow the adoption of new approaches.

That is why I find this proposal interesting. It boldly challenges an established convention.

Convention tells us that school or work should start around 7:00 or 8:00 in the morning, continue through the day, take a lunch break, and finish around 5:00. If it is raining too heavily or unbearably hot, the conventional response can sometimes be to simply endure it because that is the way things have always been done.

A class beginning at 6:30 in the morning and ending at 9:30 would certainly break that convention.

But then, let’s unpack it.

That would be only three hours. Younger pupils have several learning areas to cover, while older students have even more. How would the required learning time fit into such a short period? Perhaps subjects could be distributed differently, with some activities completed at home through modules or learning activity sheets. If temperatures become more tolerable later in the afternoon, could schools consider resuming classes around 4:00 p.m. and continuing until 7:00 p.m.?

And what about the rest of society?

Students and teachers are not the only people dealing with extreme heat. What contingency measures can be provided to market vendors, public utility vehicle drivers, delivery riders, traffic personnel, and others who spend long hours outdoors—or indoors without adequate ventilation or air-conditioning?

How do we prevent dizziness, headaches, dehydration, heat exhaustion, and fainting?

Then there are our farmers and other agricultural workers.

The most direct danger is drought. Strong El Niño conditions can bring below-normal rainfall in vulnerable areas, drying soil, reducing groundwater recharge, lowering river and reservoir levels, and increasing dependence on irrigation. Rice, corn, vegetables, and other crops can suffer from insufficient moisture.

And then there is water.

We had better get those Orocan containers ready.

A strong El Niño can put additional pressure on water supplies. Reservoirs and rivers can fall to lower levels. Wells and springs can dry up. Water rationing or interruptions in household service can become possible. Less water can also affect hydroelectric power generation, while extreme heat increases electricity consumption as people turn to air conditioners, electric fans, and refrigerators.

That creates a difficult combination: Less water available for some forms of power generation + greater electricity demand.

Still, El Niño does not mean that every part of the Philippines suddenly becomes completely dry. PAGASA emphasizes that rainfall can vary by location and season, and tropical cyclones can still bring heavy rain.

The bigger lesson is adaptation.

If extreme heat is becoming a bigger problem, perhaps school schedules, working hours, rest periods, and safety measures need to change.

Maybe innovation is simply having the courage to say:

“This used to work. But perhaps it doesn’t work anymore.”

And then doing something about it.

““There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”” Ecclesiastes 3:1