BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – A Capitol weather specialist has warned that soaring temperatures across the province are dangerous for elderly people as the Semana Santa approaches its last end Sunday and as the milling season slips into the tiempo muerto or the start of the dead season in this Sugarlandia of the country with more than a million people.
Isagani Republica, who heads the Monitoring, Alert and Warning Systems of Capitol’s Disaster Management Program Division, told DNX the mercury peaks up to 34 degrees Celsius, mostly in areas in the north that stretches from the city of Talisay to San Carlos that face the Visayan Sea.
Republica said the “normal range” before this year’s summer set in was 24 to 30 degrees Celsius.
He added the spike could be dangerous to elderly people who have weakened immune systems that make them more vulnerable to heat stroke that could be triggered by the soaring temperatures.
In the city, physician Anna Maria Laarni Pornan advised residents to drink water, wear loose clothing, and avoid intense heat between 8am and 4pm.
She also said people must avoid stayimg in crowded areas.
The onset of summer here comes as the milling season in the sugar industry ends and the tiempo muerto or dead season is about to start.
During this period in the monocrop industry, work slows down or stops altogether in the plantations as the canes are allowed to mature.
