Students with classes in 'lata' school buildings in Dagupan City to be monitored amid Super El Niño

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Authorities will closely monitor students attending classes in metal-clad school buildings, locally referred to as “lata” (tin-can) buildings, in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, amid expectations of hotter weather due to Super El Niño.

In a report by CJ Torida on GMA Regional TV One North Central Luzon on Monday, it was reported that the buildings were constructed in several schools across the city through public-private partnerships.

“It is made of tin. During El Niño, that building gets really hot. We will provide additional electric fans to keep our learners from getting too hot,” said Dr. Vladimir Parayno, disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) coordinator of the Schools Division Office in Dagupan City.

The tin-can building at Federico N. Ceralde Integrated School in Dagupan is more than a decade old. It has two floors and four classrooms.

Additional electric fans will be installed in each classroom to help alleviate the heat brought by Super El Niño.

According to Maria Romina Carreon, DRRM coordinator at FNC Integrated School, the classrooms in the metal-clad building remain hot even when the windows and doors are open.

“When you're inside, it feels like you're being baked,” said Carreon, who is also a nurse.

Carreon said she had treated students who experienced dizziness due to the extreme heat.

Grade 12 students are among those attending classes in the tin-can building. Some said they sweat excessively because of the heat. However, they said the temperature remained “tolerable” for now, adding that the large electric fans helped keep them comfortable.

School officials are also preparing to transfer students to other buildings if necessary, should temperatures rise further due to Super El Niño. —RF, GMA News