THE El Niño is not just affecting crops; it is also affecting people’s health.
Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, provincial health officer, advised the public to drink lots of fluids to avoid dehydration.
“As much as possible, people should also avoid exposure from direct sunlight amid the extreme heat brought about by the weak El Niño,” Tumimbang said.
“For individuals who have maintenance (medication) and are considered as high-risk, they should avoid exposure from the heat to avoid heatstroke,” Tumimbang warned.
He said that people should avoid heat exposure from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. when the temperature is high.
Temperature in the province ranges from 24 to 34 degrees Celsius.
Kabankalan City registered the highest temperature on Wednesday, March 13, with 34 degrees Celsius.
Tumimbang also said that high-risk people, as well as those who aren’t, should avoid too much exposure from direct sunlight when in the beach to avoid sunburn.
“Always bring with you your umbrellas when going outside to avoid direct heat from the sunlight and stay inside the house or at the office if you have no business outside,” Tumimbang stressed.
Tumimbang also said that viral infection is also higher this time especially that the weather condition is a combination of extreme cold early in the morning and extreme heat at daytime.
“Take necessary supplements like Vitamin C to boost the immune system,” Tumimbang added.
Agricultural damage caused by the weak El Niño in the Pacific Ocean reached P464.27 million as of Monday, March 11, based on the data from the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center of the Department of Agriculture.
There have been 22,918 metric tons of crops affected, which are mostly corn and rice, and 13,679 hectares of agricultural lands. (TDE)