Gov. Chaco Sagarbarria, Jr. just declared a State of Calamity in view of the reported extreme heat especially in Sta. Catalina and Bayawan City due to El Niño.
The declaration of a State of Calamity was based on the damage to agriculture or crops and livestock due to the drought caused by the prevailing El Niño phenomenon, which has since reached over P115 million and counting.
It is so hot that you can actually see the heat rising from the cemented roads, and feeling like the heat is pasted on your skin!
PAGASA has reported that 30 areas around the nation are expected to experience scorching temperatures of up to 46 °Celsius. The latest heat index bulletin of the weather agency predicts that the forecast could fall under the “danger” heat index classification due to temperatures ranging from 42°C to 46°C, with a warning under the “danger” classification as temperatures soar between 42°C to 51°C.
The heat index, also referred to as the apparent temperature, factors in both relative humidity and the actual air temperature, providing a measure of how hot it feels.
The public is advised to limit outdoor activities, stay hydrated, and schedule daily activities during cooler times later in the day. Thousands of schools have suspended in-person classes, prompting warnings for people to limit the amount of time spent outdoors.
Climate change is real, indicated by rising sea levels, higher temperatures, and increased frequency of typhoons, and extreme weather events which can cause floods, landslides, and erosion that pollute water resources, damage infrastructure, destroy crops, and lead to loss of lives and livelihoods.
In 2022, the World Risk Index ranked the Philippines as the country with the highest disaster risk due to increasingly depleted natural resources that provide critical protection against the impacts of climate change, flood control, soil stability, and habitats for biodiversity.
Without action, the World Bank estimates that annual economic damages from climate change in the Philippines could reach 13.6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
The country also faces a looming energy crisis, as its natural gas supply is rapidly being depleted.
As global energy prices rise, the nation will need to increase its domestic clean energy infrastructure, or face higher imported energy prices and more blackouts.
What are the local governments doing towards the transformation of its socio-economic sectors towards a climate- and disaster-resilient and low-carbon economy? What measures are being taken towards increasing the use of renewable energy and protecting natural resources locally? What programs are in place for climate adaptation, renewable energy, and mitigation through sustainable landscapes, promotion of water and energy security, access to climate finance, and reducing vulnerability to natural disasters? What efforts are there to better understand, use, and disseminate climate information to build the resilience of local communities? How about addressing the decreasing fish species, their population and habitats, the threatened tree species, their distribution, and habitat suitability?
Sadly, the time to act was yesterday.
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Author’s email: whelmayap@yahoo.com
