The Mandaue City school district on Cebu Island in the Philippines has introduced a four-tier heat assessment system that allows individual school directors to decide when classes should be adjusted or suspended based on local weather conditions.
The Department of Education’s administrative officer, Edgar Espina, said the arrangement was introduced because generalised heat regulations do not always account for differences in school buildings, surrounding conditions and the availability of shaded areas.
Under the new system, schools assess their immediate environments and use hygrometers to monitor temperature levels before determining the appropriate learning arrangements.
Four Cebuano Categories Determine School Operations
The heat monitoring framework uses four Cebuano-language categories, each corresponding to specific temperature ranges and school operating procedures.
The first level, Hayo, applies to temperatures of up to 27°C. Schools can continue normal activities, but students must have access to drinking water and maintain proper hydration.
The second category, Hinay, covers temperatures between 27°C and 32°C. At this level, schools may shorten lessons or move classes to earlier mornings or evenings.
The third category, Hinga, applies when temperatures reach between 33°C and 41°C. Schools must suspend face-to-face activities and move learning to home-based arrangements.
The highest level, Hinto, is triggered when temperatures exceed 42°C. All school activities must stop under this category.
Daily Monitoring Introduced to Improve Planning
Schools conduct their weather assessments between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. each day to give parents and families advance information about possible changes to the following day’s schedule.
The municipal disaster risk management office also reviews weather data every two to three hours to monitor conditions and maintain oversight of the heat situation.
The system gives school directors the responsibility to make decisions based on conditions at their individual campuses rather than relying solely on centralised instructions.
Paper Assignments Available During Remote Learning
When temperatures reach the Hinga level and schools move to remote learning, assignments are distributed on paper to ensure that students can continue their education.
The arrangement is intended to accommodate households without reliable access to digital devices or internet services.
Espina said the education authorities were prioritising student safety while working to prevent disruptions caused by extreme heat from reducing the quality of learning.
The district’s approach is designed to allow schools to respond to local temperature conditions while maintaining educational activities whenever it is safe to do so.
