High heat index halts in-person classes in Tacloban public schools

TACLOBAN CITY — About 55,000 students in public elementary and secondary schools in Tacloban City will shift to distance learning on Tuesday and Wednesday after the city schools division suspended face-to-face classes due to a projected heat index of 40 degrees Celsius.

Nilo Eder, spokesperson of the Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division of Tacloban City, said the two-day suspension covers 60 public elementary and secondary schools in the city.

The latest heat index forecast from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) placed Tacloban under the “Hinga” category, covering heat index readings of 33°C to 41°C.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: 16 areas to experience dangerous heat levels Tuesday — Pagasa

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

The Department of Education, through Memorandum No. 64, series of 2026, issued measures to protect learners and school personnel from possible heat-related illnesses.

Under the directive, teachers must adopt appropriate distance-learning methods, including modular and online lessons, to ensure that learning activities continue during the suspension of in-person classes.

Eder said teachers and non-teaching personnel are not required to report to their respective schools, except those assigned to essential services such as security, maintenance, clinic, finance, and disaster response.

He added that private schools may decide whether to follow the suspension order.

The heat index refers to the temperature felt by the human body when relative humidity is considered along with air temperature. Prolonged exposure to high heat index levels may lead to heat exhaustion and other heat-related illnesses. /coa