The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (PAGASA) Climate Monitoring and Prediction Section announced on April 18, 2024 that 52°Celsius (°C) and above or extreme danger heat index are likely to be felt in some areas in the Philippines because of El Niño.

The agency then released its new heat index classification system with four categories:

– Caution: 27 to 32 degrees Celsius
– Extreme Caution: 33 to 41 degrees Celsius
– Danger: 42 to 51 degrees Celsius
– Extreme Danger: 52 degrees Celsius and beyond

Meanwhile in the deserts, a storm hit the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Bahrain on April 16, 2024 bringing record rainfall that left 18 dead, flooded highways, devastated properties and infrastructures, grid-locked traffic, stopped flights and trapped people in their homes.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), United Nation’s weather agency, issued a red alert on the worsening effects of climate change confirming 2023 as the hottest year on record and raising the global average near-surface temperature to 1.45 degrees Celsius. Experts said that if the global temperature crossed 1.5 degrees Celsius, it becomes irreversible. With the recorded hot index in this early period of the year 2024, it may surpass the 2023 hot index. And the rising global temperature is leading to more extreme weather events around the world, including intense rainfall.

In the Philippines, not below twenty areas (and are expected to rise) are reported experiencing the “danger” level hot index and what is more worrying is that this situation is expected to be experienced beyond May of the year. The effects of El Niño now led to agricultural damage and water shortages as reported in various regions. One cropping season has already been seriously affected, affecting the supply—demand chain that mainly hit the poor and working populations.

Among other effects are the class suspensions, grass and forest fires, recurring earthquakes, volcanic eruption threats and even deaths due to heatstroke.

Health and climate experts advised the public to limit outdoor activities; organize heavy activities in the cooler period of the day; drink plenty of water; avoid tea, coffee, soda, and liquor; use umbrellas and hats and wear sleeved clothing outdoors.

But we need more long-term responses and not just about adapting.

Reduce, reuse, recycle without stopping the mass production of plastics and unimportant things only facilitates plastic pollution and aggravates the situation more. Tree planting remains an important response, but this is not enough anymore this time!

We need urgent reconstruction of the economic and political framework, designs and policies related to management and utilization of the finite resources, in our response to this climate emergency and in organizing our political and economic affairs. Without deviating to the current profit-driven economic and development paradigm and the continued commoditization of the resources for money count and revenue increases controlled by the few percent in the population, climate condition will become worst and becomes beyond repair.

Workers must be given breaks too or a breakdown will happen including the teachers, service sectors, factories, etc. The agriculture and food production sector must be proactively and democratically appropriated and the ‘selective ayuda’ schemes as a preparation for the 2025 Philippine mid-term elections should be monitored and those abusing public resources be penalized. Instead, the coming famine as an effect of the current extreme weather conditions should be properly dealt with the food producing, the tillers, the workers and the communities not relying much on export-import line.

Citizens must be reminded of their moral obligation as Stewards of the creation. Either on the basis of the religious beliefs and the material world, it is more than necessary to act now or be doomed – humans cannot live in a dead planet.

PALASANG, a forest restoration and environmental movement in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur calls out that development planning in the communities, local government units, agencies should become more democratic and be strengthened. The priority programs, services and infrastructures should be defined responding to the worrisome situation as a transition towards the ecological and sustainable future. The halls of power then must be transformed as a compassionate, pro-people and ecological hub of, for and by the peoples.

PALASANG believes that Earth Day must be a reminder to humanity particularly the mostly affected populations to stand collectively and use our influence for a democratic and ecological transformation of the existing dominant economic, political and social constructs destroying the Earth. And among us citizens and movements, we should double and triple our efforts (from individual and collective initiatives) to building the ecological consciousness. This is urgent than ever, not just against plastics but from all evils destroying the Earth!

On April 21, 2024

PALASANG

Reference Persons:

Bishop Pedro P. Fenis, Jr.
President, PALASANG

Pastor Victor Pacullo
President, Sibagat Ecumenical Churches Association (SECA)
Vice President for Religious Affairs, PALASANG