COTABATO CITY (PIA) -- Employers in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have been ordered by the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MOLE) to implement health and safety measures to prevent heat stress and minimize its impact in the workplace.

In a statement on April 11, the MOLE-BARMM reiterated Ministry Order No. 012, Series of 2024, recommending measures to avoid heat stress in different private establishments in the Bangsamoro region.

“Employers are also advised to immediately coordinate with the nearest hospitals for proper transfer and referral of their workers should any emergency occur,” MOLE Minister Muslimin Sema said.

As the temperature continues to rise due to the El Niño phenomenon, the MOLE-BARMM has urged employers to implement effective ventilation or heat insulation in all areas where workers are present, provide free and adequate drinking water to the employees, and properly assess the level of workers' exposure to extreme temperatures in their respective work areas.

Sema also recommended that employers implement flexible work arrangements, such as adjusting work hours while maintaining the total number of hours worked, on a daily or weekly basis, to reduce their workers' heat exposure.

“The MOLE shall provide employers and workers with technical assistance in the review and development of appropriate safety and health measures to address heat-related illness at the workplace,” he added.

MOLE-BARMM also asked employers to provide temperature-appropriate uniforms and personal protective equipment (PPE), especially for those working outside and exposed to extreme heat and high temperatures.

Based on the report from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), in the past five days, the heat index in Cotabato City and nearby provinces has averaged 41 to 42 degrees Celsius.

The scorching heat has also forced elementary schools in Cotabato City, as well as neighboring cities and provinces, to suspend face-to-face classes and resort to alternative learning schemes for the entire month of April.

Najmah Bornea Franco-Jumuad, health education promotion officer of the Cotabato City Health Office, advised the public to take necessary precautions to avoid heat stroke.

“Kapag naramdaman na ninyo na ‘yung 40 degrees Celsius na ‘yung init ng araw, dapat po umiwas na tayo. Pumunta tayo sa lilim na lugar o kapag namumula na ang katawan natin, pwede tayong kumuha ng bimpo or ice pack para maibsan ‘yung init, uminom ng tubig. Wag nang hintayin na mawalan ng malay, gawin na kaagad ang mga tip na ito,” she said.

[When the heat index is 40 degrees Celsius, we should avoid getting exposed to the sun. Let's go to a shady place, or when our bodies have turned red due to the sun, we can take a small towel or ice pack to relieve the heat and drink lots of water. Don't wait to pass out; do these tips right away.] (LTB - PIA Cotabato City)