Watch out for disease outbreaks despite extreme heat and a water crisis, says DOH

We may think that since it is summer we will not be able to get sick, you're wrong because it is way more dreadful as you think. The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) assured the public that there would be no water crisis this year, with Angat Dam enjoying a “comfortable water level.”

In a press briefing, DOH officer in charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that communities should be wary about their sources of water during the dry season because “if there is a water crisis, sources of safe water will not be enough.”

The government's failure to address a supply shortage in many areas has led to a water crisis, as President Marcos warned last week. The country will have enough water, according to MWSS Administrator Leonor Cleofas, not just for this summer but also through the end of the year.

The water level at the dam remained normal, according to the website of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa). There will be less reliance on Angat Dam thanks to the contentious New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam Project in the Sierra Madre mountain range, which is expected to provide 600 million liters of water per day to Metro Manila and the surrounding areas.

The public has been urged by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) to limit sun exposure, drink plenty of water, and be alert for signs of heatstroke and heat stress.

86.7% of students reported difficulty focusing because of the heat, according to a survey of 11,706 public school teachers. When the school break coincided with the dry season, ACT suggested reverting to the pre pandemic schedule, rearranging the class schedules, and implementing blended learning.