Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
MANILA – Jon Garry Venancio quickly piles up bamboo poles beside a small nipa hut he is building for a customer.
It is 5 p.m. and his work for the day is already done.
Venancio is a mountain farmer who moonlights as a carpenter, especially in the past two months when vegetables have been difficult to grow due to the extreme heat.
He usually plants bottle gourd, eggplant, and squash but the farm he has been working on has dried up due to lack of water as certain regions began experiencing extreme heat in March.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said several areas nationwide are expected to experience up to 46°C of heat, falling under the “danger” classification (42°C to 46°C) of heat index in the coming days.
Heat index or apparent temperature consists of relative humidity and the actual temperature, providing individuals with an idea of what the heat feels like.
The heat index in Dagupan City, Pangasinan already hit 47°C on April 15.
Heat-related illnesses
The summer heat, which peaks between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., slows down Venancio’s work.
“Nagpapahinga po ako sa gitna ng trabaho kapag sobrang init. Sumisilong po ako sa ilalim ng puno (I rest in the middle of work when it’s too hot. I take shelter under a tree),” he said in an interview on April 19.
Just a week ago, he said, he felt numbness in his hands and dizziness while cutting some grass in the field.
The Department of Health (DOH) warned against serious illnesses related to heat, among them heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.
In a public advisory, the DOH said heat cramps and heat exhaustion are characterized by fatigue, dizziness, headache, vomiting, and light-headedness.
Meanwhile, heat stroke, which occurs after prolonged heat exposure, is characterized by loss of consciousness, confusion, or seizures, which can be deadly if left untreated.
First-aid, preventive measures
The DOH said first-aid measures could be applied to people experiencing heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke.
First, the concerned individual must be moved to a shaded and cool area and must be provided ventilation.
The person’s outer clothing may be removed and cold compresses, ice packs, cold water, or cold wet cloth must be applied on the skin, especially the head, face, neck, armpits, wrists, ankles, and groins.
Preventive measures must be undertaken to avoid heat-related illnesses – drinking plenty of water; avoiding consumption of iced tea, soda, coffee, or alcoholic drinks; limiting time spent outdoors between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.; use of protection against sunburns, such as hats, umbrellas, and sunblock; and wearing of loose-fitting, lightweight clothing.
Before going out or planning outdoor activities, the DOH encourages everyone to regularly monitor temperature reports from PAGASA.
Venancio prefers drinking warm water or the traditional warm tea from boiled guava leaves when coming from the heat.
“Hindi po kami umiinom ng malamig na tubig na may yelo kapag galing sa initan (We don’t drink cold water with ice when coming from the heat),” he said.
Heat-related deaths
Meanwhile, the DOH Event-based Surveillance and Response System has logged 34 cases of heat-related illnesses with six deaths from Jan. 1 to April 18 this year.
“The causes of death are still for verification,” the DOH said.
The reported cases were from Central Visayas, Ilocos Region, and Soccsksargen.
— Ma. Teresa Montemayor (PNA)
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Credit belongs to: www.pna.gov.ph
