Extreme heat has scorched Southeast
Asia in recent weeks, prompting thousands of schools to suspend in-person
operations and authorities to issue health warnings.
The unusually hot weather is expected
to last until mid-May, a forecaster said Sunday, after the temperature hit a
record high in Manila.
Many schools in the Philippines have
no air-conditioning, leaving students to swelter in crowded, poorly ventilated
classrooms.
"In view of the latest heat index
forecast... and the announcement of a nationwide transport strike, all public
schools nationwide shall implement asynchronous classes/distance learning on
April 29 and 30, 2024," the Department of Education (DepEd), which
oversees more than 47,000 schools, said on Facebook.