MANILA – The Philippines will keep in-person classes at public schools suspended in some cities on May 2 and 3 as the sweltering heat continued to grip the nation.

Schools in Manila will be closed due to the “extreme heat index forecast” and they are “directed to adapt (to) any alternative mode of learning”, Mayor Honey Lacuna said in a statement on May 1.

Muntinlupa city in metropolitan Manila also ordered its public schools to remain shut over the two days.

The Philippines closed public schools across the country from April 29 to 30 due to the heatwave and a jeepney transport strike. May 1 was a public holiday.

The school closures come as the nation experiences one of its hottest summers on record that is spurring cooling demand and straining its power supplies. Other countries in the region also saw electricity usage surge to record levels, including in Thailand.

The heat index, which measures how an individual feels the temperature when humidity is taken into account, is forecast to hit a high of 47 deg C in the Philippines on May 2, according to the nation’s weather agency.

The heat index soared to 53 deg C on April 28, indicating that incidents of heat stroke were imminent. 

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said rising demand for electricity as people cope with the scorching heat has left the country’s power systems “overloaded”.

The energy regulator said on April 30 that it will suspend the wholesale electricity spot market when the grid operator warns of thin power supply to tame prices as demand spikes. BLOOMBERG