Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairing the Senate Committee on Basic Education, is now advocating for the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) to develop more precise and location-specific heat indexes.
This move aims to eliminate the perceived arbitrariness in the decision-making process for class suspensions during extreme heat episodes.
Gatchalian suggested adopting a system akin to the tropical cyclone signals, providing schools and local government units with detailed information to base their decisions on.
"Lack of information may hinder schools and local authorities from implementing timely and strategic responses, potentially endangering our students," Gatchalian emphasized during recent discussions with PAGASA.
Marcelino Villafuerte II, PAGASA's Deputy Administrator for Research and Development, acknowledges the agency's observational network limitations.
Nonetheless, he highlighted ongoing efforts to devise methods for estimating temperature values without relying solely on sensors.
Villafuerte further revealed that PAGASA is exploring various science-based approaches to accurately determine or approximate temperature and heat indexes specific to different locations, thus enhancing the precision of heat-related advisories.
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