DESPITE DAILY HIGH HEAT INDEX

DESPITE the scorching heat of the sun in Dagupan City, there was no stopping residents going about their normal activities but more importantly, they were noticeably taking the necessary precautions to avoid heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke that could lead to their hospitalization and even death.

This was how Mayor Belen Fernandez described what she saw in the city when she made rounds regularly during a livestream interview by Radio Pilipinas in the afternoon of April 16 when the city’s heat index was 46 degrees Celsius, the highest so far all over the country.

She said there was not a single report of a Dagupeño who suffered from heatstroke so far.

“Our residents, particularly our city government employees, are advised daily to drink plenty of water, go to the nearest shade whenever the sun is at its brightest. Rather than risk being hospitalized, they should do every means to protect themselves from the scorching heat of the sun, including taking a bath daily to stay comfortable in their homes,” she said.

Meanwhile, she said activities for the Dagupan Bangus  Festival are held as scheduled although these are held earlier in the day or late in the afternoon to protect the participants.

She cited the program “Ilog Ko, Bilay Ko, Dapat Mahalin Ko”, the cleaning of rivers, creeks and waterways to make way for better bangus production, is done in earnest early morning while the “Goodbye Basura program ”  segregating wastes at the city dumpsite in Bonuan, is done by participants from different barangays and non-government organizations early morning and the city government provides coffee and pandesal for breakfast.

She said she lamented though that the bangus growers are selling in lesser quantities because of the excessive heat of the sun but on the bright side, she pointed out that no fish kill has occurred in the city this summer though some fishponds have dried up.

The anchorman of the radio program, Joe Fernandez, told the mayor, that many people in the country are wondering what may have befell the people of Dagupan in this kind of weather when their city became the hottest place in the Philippines almost daily today.

Mayor Fernandez said though the heat outdoor has become almost unbearable, not one city resident is yet affected by heat-related diseases as records of the city heath office show.

She earlier instructed the city health office to step up its home-visitation program to aid people distressed by excessive heat. (Leonardo Micua)

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