Thousands of schools in the Philippines suspended in-person classes on Friday, according to the education department, as parts of the tropical country grappled with dangerously high temperatures. The months of March, April, and May typically experience the hottest and driest weather in the archipelago nation, with conditions further exacerbated by the El Niño weather phenomenon.

Many schools lack air conditioning, leaving students to endure sweltering conditions in crowded and poorly ventilated classrooms. Mayette Paulino, a teacher at a grade two class near Manila, noted that even her brightest students were affected by the heat, with many feeling tired and sleepy as the temperatures intensified in the afternoon.

The Department of Education issued an advisory granting school heads the authority to decide when to transition to remote learning "in cases of extreme heat and other calamities." Official figures for Friday showed that 5,288 schools suspended in-person classes, impacting over 3.6 million students, an increase from the previous day.

Some schools opted to shorten class hours to avoid teaching during the hottest times of the day. Bheapril Balbin, a parent whose children attend a primary school near Manila, supported the decision for students to stay home during the hot weather, citing instances of classmates falling ill due to extreme heat, especially concerning for her youngest child who suffers from asthma.

The heat index was forecasted to reach the "danger" level of 42 or 43 degrees Celsius in several areas of the country on Friday, according to the state weather forecaster. In Manila, the heat index was expected to reach the "extreme caution" level of up to 40 degrees Celsius, posing risks of heat cramps and exhaustion.

The country's heat index measures what the temperature feels like, factoring in humidity. While Manila recorded a maximum temperature of 35.5 degrees Celsius on Friday, meteorologists warned that the heat was likely to worsen as the summer season progressed, with the first half of May typically being the hottest period.

Nearly 300 schools in Manila opted for remote learning on Friday, while the central regions of Luzon, the main island, were the hardest hit, with over 1,600 schools suspending in-person classes. Alberto Muyot, chief of Save the Children Philippines, highlighted the adverse impact of extreme heat on children's concentration and health, emphasizing the need for protective measures to ensure their well-being.

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