Over 26M Pinoy students ‘suffer most from climate change,’ says child rights group
By Pioneer Publication | posted 09/04/24
Child rights group Save the Children Philippines issued a press release stating that at least 26 million Filipino students have to bear the brunt of climate change and its effects such as “intolerable heat, more powerful typhoons, and limited access to water for basic needs.”
An advocate for Save the Children Philippines’ Generation Hope campaign against climate change and inequality, Rohj Olivo, says that Filipinos have faced climate changes as well as learning mode since the pandemic began.
“In the past four years, we have experienced changes in the school calendar and mode of delivery due to the pandemic and to adapt to the changing climate, on top of all the class suspensions due to frequent typhoons. We are yet facing another calendar shift due to El Nino,” he says.
He also added that there should be intervention to ensure that students have still access to quality education. “Our argument is clear: in the midst of climate change, government action should ensure that we have uninterrupted access to quality education, and to effectively solve this problem, leaders must not only listen to children and youth’s voices but also heed our wisdom, for it is our future that hangs in the balance.”
Teachers, students heavily affected by sweltering heat: ACT-NCR
In an online survey conducted by the Alliance for Concerned Teachers-National Capital Region (NCR) alone, 77% of public school teachers in the NCR said that they could not confront the extreme heat inside classrooms.
“According to 77% of the survey participants, they experience difficulties coping with the stifling heat within classrooms, with 87% indicating that it adversely affects student focus, impeding effective teaching and learning. Nearly half or 46% said that classrooms have only 1–2 electric fans, highlighting inadequate ventilation measures to combat rising temperatures. Alarmingly, 87% of students reported existing medical conditions such as allergies and asthma while 26% of teachers reported hypertension, noting significant health risks posed by the intolerable heat,” the group says on its Facebook post.
The respondents to the survey also gave their suggestions such as wearing light clothes, and adequate hydration, as well as implementing asynchronous classes to not be exposed to searing heat.
The ACT-NCR Union President, Ruby Bernardo, added that there should be government response in terms of classes being climate-adaptive.
“We reiterate however, that while these suggestions can be useful as a quick and temporary response due to current conditions, it should not be abused by the agency and the government as the perennial solution. We need to build adequate classrooms, hire more teachers and education support personnel, and establish a climate crisis resilient environment to improve our learning conditions. This requires adequate budget allocated to education which we have long demanded from the government.”
Last Sunday, the Department of Education implemented asynchronous classes on April 8 in order for students to accomplish pending tasks.
Filipino children prone to climate change: UNICEF
In a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report last 2023, it said that Filipino children are prone to risks brought by climate change, and can alter their physical and mental health.
“The bodies and minds of children in the Philippines are vulnerable to polluted air, poor nutrition, and extreme heat. Their world is changing and so too is their well-being as climate change affects their mental and physical health. Children are demanding change, but their needs are far too often relegated to the sidelines,” the UNICEF Philippines Representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov stated in the report.
Palawan State U implements hybrid learning until Apr 14; encourages wearing light clothes amid extreme heat
The Office of the University President (OUP) released a memorandum on transition to hybrid classes due to extreme heat, and would take place from April 3–14, 2024.
This came upon the recommendation of the Director of the University Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, as well as considering students’ and faculty’s well-being due to the intense heat conditions being experienced in the province.
The memorandum adds that the department chairpersons and/or the college secretaries must ensure that the online classes and the online attendance of faculty members are monitored.
Meanwhile, the mandated wearing of school uniforms has been suspended until the end of this month.
The OUP has the authority whether to extend or stop the changes due to extreme climate conditions.
Heat indexes in Puerto Princesa City alone reached a “danger” level, posing risks of heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. (RF)
