(Cover photo courtesy: Parkeserye Facebook)
THE DIGITAL thermometer on 55-year-old Edwin Alvarado’s smartwatch reads 34°C, but the sweat soaking through his thin cotton shirt tells a different story. As a jeepney driver plying routes across Metro Manila, he knows the real number that matters today is 44°C—the “danger level” heat index that PAGASA announced for today, combining temperature with the suffocating humidity of the capital region.
“Hindi lang sa balat mo ramdam ang init, kaya nagbabaon ako [palagi] ng tubig. Bumibili rin ako ng palamig,” Edwin said, wiping his face with a small towel that’s already damp from the morning’s work. “Sa umaga, naliligo ako talaga para mabawasan ‘yung init at presko ang katawan. Kailangan din na maayos ang pagkain. Mahalaga rin na nasa lilim ka dahil kapag nasa init ka delikado naman ‘yun.”
The human cost of rising heat indexes
Edwin is one of millions of Filipinos navigating a new reality where extreme heat isn’t just uncomfortable—it’s potentially deadly.
Last summer alone, hundreds of people across Metro Manila were hospitalized for heat-related illnesses, according to the Department of Health’s Metro Manila Center for Health Development (DOH-MMCHD).
For 68-year-old Lola Sylvia Gonzaga, a resident of a crowded community in Caloocan City, without proper ventilation or the presence of cooling implements, last April’s heat wave became a life-or-death situation.
“Nakaupo lang ako sa upuan namin isang hapon, tapos biglang umikot ang paligid ko,” she recalled. “Natagpuan ako ng kapitbahay ko na walang malay pagkalipas ng isang oras. Sabi ng doktor na tumingin sa akin, umabot sa 40 degrees ang temperatura ng katawan ko.”
Lola Sylvia survived, but some others haven’t been so fortunate. Heat is becoming an increasingly dangerous health threat in the Philippines, particularly in densely populated urban areas like Metro Manila, where the urban heat island effect intensifies already sweltering conditions.
“Hindi pantay-pantay ang epekto ng init sa lahat,” Lola Sylvia explained. “Sa mga komunidad tulad ng sa amin na kakaunti ang puno at maraming semento, mas mataas ang temperatura kumpara sa mga lugar na may maraming puno gaya ng sa probinsya.”
Communities fighting back the heat
As temperatures and humidity levels continue to rise, communities are developing innovative approaches to protect their most vulnerable residents.
In Quezon City, Kim Francisco a sidewalk vendor of “palamig” or “samalamig” (sweet chilled bevarages) shared this advice with PIA-NCR: “Para hindi ma-dehydrate, kailangan uminom ng maraming tubig.”
“Marami rin bumibili ng palamig sa mga ganitong panahon, mga galing sa initan, karamihan mga jeepney driver at [motorcycle] rider,” Kim added.
For Lolo Mamerto Zamora, a 62-year-old tricycle driver from Barangay Vasra, he regularly uses a damp towel to beat the heat.
“Nagbabasa po kami ng towel at ipinupunas namin sa ulo at kung saan pwedeng maka-absorb ng init. Palagi rin kami nasa lilim dahil talagang hindi namin kaya ‘yung init. May mga baon din kaming tubig.”
The science behind the suffering
Dr. Enrico Marasigan, a physician and former official of the Caloocan City Health Department and who has treated quite a number of heat-related illnesses over his decades career, has noticed a troubling trend.
“We’re seeing heat exhaustion cases earlier in summer and in patients who previously wouldn’t have been considered high-risk,” he said. “What’s particularly concerning is how quickly patients deteriorate when both temperature and humidity are elevated.”
According to Dr. Marasigan, the heat index matters more than the actual temperature because it reflects how the human body experiences environmental conditions.
“When humidity is high, sweat doesn’t evaporate efficiently from your skin, which is your body’s primary cooling mechanism,” he explained. “A 32-degree day with high humidity can actually stress your body more than a 37-degree day with low humidity.”
Ana Liza Solis, a weather specialist from PAGASA, added: “Heat index isn’t just a number we report. It’s what we call ‘init na nararamdaman’ or ‘feels-like temperature.’ When we announce a ‘danger level’ heat index level above 42°C, it means conditions outside could potentially lead to heat cramps, exhaustion, and even heat stroke with prolonged exposure.”
According to PAGASA’s records, Metro Manila has been experiencing increasingly higher heat index values over the past decade, with new records set almost every year. Last year, some areas recorded a heat index of 45°C, placing them in what PAGASA categorizes as the “danger level.”
Living through the heat
Back in the congested streets of Quezon City, Edwin has developed his own heat survival strategy. He starts his route at 4:00 a.m. to avoid the worst midday heat. His insulated water bottle is filled with ice water that gradually melt throughout the day, providing a consistent supply of cold hydration. He also wears lightweight, light-colored clothing and takes short breaks whenever possible, parking in shaded areas beneath infrastructures or large trees.
“Binabantayan ko ang pakiramdam ko,” he said. “Alam ko na ang mga babala—pagkalito, pagkahilo, paghinto ng pagpapawis. Kapag may nakitang ganoon, agad akong naghahanap ng malilim o mahangin na area.”
Looking ahead
As climate projections from PAGASA suggest heat indexes will continue to rise across the country, adapting to extreme heat is becoming a permanent part of Filipino life rather than a temporary inconvenience.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and local government units are increasingly incorporating heat management into urban planning—planting more trees and plants along major thoroughfares, creating cooling corridors, and requiring heat-resistant building designs. Public health departments, on the other hand, are developing more sophisticated early warning systems and intervention programs.
For individuals like Lola Sylvia, the future requires personal adaptation as well. After her heat-related hospitalization, their barangay health workers taught her to recognize early warning signs of heat illness.
“Hindi ko pinansin ang panahon dati,” Lola Sylvia said. “Ngayon, tinitignan ko ang heat index tuwing umaga tulad ng pagtignan ng iba sa presyo ng bigas—nakasalalay ang buhay ko sa mga numerong iyon.”
As Edwin embarked another brutally hot workday, he reflects on the changing climate.
“Ang tatay ko ay drayber rin ng tatlumpung taon,” he said. “Tinuruan niya ako ng lahat ng alam ko tungkol sa pagda-drive. Pero hindi niya kailangang isipin ang heat index o mag-alala na baka magka-heat stroke siya. Iba na ang mundong ginagalawan natin ngayon.”
Staying safe when the heat index soars
Health experts and PAGASA recommend these strategies during periods of extreme heat:
- Uminom ng tubig nang regular sa buong araw, hindi lang kapag nauuhaw;
- Humanap ng mga lugar na mahangin, may electric fan o aircon sa pinakamainit na oras, kahit sandali lang;
- Magsuot ng maninipis, light-colored, at medyo maluwag na damit, hangga’t maaari;
- Alamin ang kalagayan ng mga nakatatandang kamaganak na naiwan sa bahay;
- Alamin ang mga sintomas ng heat exhaustion, gaya ng: labis na pagpapawis, panghihina, malamig/maputla/malagkit na balat, mabilis/mahina ang pulso, pagduduwal, o pagsusuka;
- Malaman kung kailan kailangang magpatingin sa emergency: mataas na temperatura ng katawan (39°C+), mainit/mapula/tuyong balat, mabilis/malakas na pulso, o pagkawala ng malay;
“Ang pinakaimportanteng bagay na dapat tandaan,” Dr. Marasigan said, “ay maiiwasan ang heat illness. Sa tamang pag-iingat, mananatili tayong ligtas, kahit na umabot sa matinding antas ang heat index.”
As climate change continues to push our weather to new extremes, stories like Edwin’s, Lola Sylvia’s, and Lolo Mamerto’s remind us that behind every heat index number PAGASA announces are real people adapting to a hotter Metro Manila—one sweltering day at a time. (JCO/PIA-NCR)
(Photos: John Lester Naguna, Gelaine Louise Gutierrez, Jerome Carlo Paunan/PIA-NCR)
