The extreme heat of 42 degrees Celsius caused class suspensions by some local government units until Tuesday, April 2.
Irene Bel Ploteña, head of the Provincial Disaster Management Program Division, said the heat index is expected to reach 42 degrees Celsius from Monday's 41 degrees Celsius.
"Stay indoors, especially from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and stay hydrated," Ploteña advised the public.
She also said that Himamaylan City, so far, is the only locality that reported water shortage after it experienced no rain for 41 days and that there have been barangays that depend on water ration for drinking water.
"There was rain in Hinoba-an and Sipalay City last week," she also said.
She said although the El Niño phenomenon is reported to last until August this year, Pagasa has also forecasted that a southwest monsoon would start in the coming month of June which is expected to end the dry spell.
Localities that have suspended classes until Tuesday are Bacolod City, Bago City, Silay City, Himamaylan City, Kabankalan City, Talisay Cutllity, E.B. Magalona, Binalbagan, Hinoba-an, Isabela, Candoni and Cauayan.
Meanwhile, LGUs that gave the discretion to school heads to decide suspension of classes are Ilog and Moises Padilla.
Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, in an advisory addressed to his constituents, stated, "I want to address our stance for face-to-face classes for all levels in both public and private. We will not be suspending them at this time.”
“This decision comes after careful consideration of geographical layout, autonomy of school heads, and general advisory on our local conditions. Our geographical terrain ranges from mountains to coastlines, and our schools experience weather conditions differently. I trust our school heads to make informed decisions about the best mode of learning for their students whether it is in-person or through alternative delivery modes,” he added.
The province of Negros Occidental was not included in the list of Pagasa for areas with high heat indices, he said. “We'll have to rely on our localized knowledge and expertise to guide our decisions and we do understand the importance of balancing educational needs with health considerations,” he added.
“I care about our students and teachers and prioritize their education as well as their health and believe they should be learning with the right environment. Should there be a shift of implementation to the alternative delivery mode of any school head, we encourage the students and parents to ensure that the learning objectives continue to be met,” he added.
Meanwhile, LGUs that shifted to modular or online distance learning were Bago City, Silay City, E.B.Magalona, Talisay City, Binalbagan, and Himamaylan City.
Iloilo City, meanwhile, also declared no face-to-face classes from preschool to senior high school, public and private, until Tuesday, April 2.*