MANALILI, KIEZLLE CAYNE D.

April 23, 2019

CONSTI II – 1P Comm. Rene V. Sarmiento

Is the present heat wave in the Philippines, that affects our right to environment/balanced
and healthful ecology, the effect of global warming/climate change?

Last April 9, 2019, the highest heat index for this year, as recorded by the state
weather bureau, 51.7 Celsius in Dagupan City, Pangasinan (ABS-CBN News, 2019).
This phenomenon is alarming, especially in a tropical country such as the Philippines
where we already know what to anticipate during the summer season: drought, negative
effects towards our health, among others. However, the intense scorching heat and the
sudden increase in temperature are both familiar and foreign to us. According to
Britannica (2015), heat wave is “a period of prolonged abnormally high surface
temperatures relative to those normally expected…characterized by low humidity, which
may exacerbate drought, or high humidity, which may exacerbate the health effects of
heat-related stress, which include heat exhaustion, dehydration, and heatstroke”. There
are many scientific researches and studies that back up the fact that the period of heat
wave is indeed caused by none other than global warming or climate change. That is
already undisputable among scientists. In addition to that, the geographical reality that
the Philippines’ proximity to the equator also contributes to it, as it is predicted that the
closer to the equator, the higher the increase in mean temperature is.
Who else can better organize people and legitimize the inevitable situation of
facing the challenge of global warming other than the State? In connection with the
constitutional mandate of the State to “protect and advance the right of the people to a
balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature (Sec 16
of Art. II of the 1987 Constitution). A state is not completely powerless against the
consequences of global warming, such as the strikes of heat waves, which eventually
cause deaths and economic loss. Continuous reliance on fossil fuels will be the death of
our planet, that is why reduction of the emission of greenhouse gas must be advanced by
humanity. Therefore, combatting global warming should be one of the top priorities of
the administration, and numerous policy development should lean towards the
anticipation of the effects of climate change. Otherwise, we will continue to reap the
consequences of our bad decisions.
Bibliography

ABS-CBN News. (2019, April 9). Dagupan City heat index reaches 51.7 degrees
Celsius. Retrieved April 20, 2019, from ABS-CBN News: https://news.abs-
cbn.com/news/04/09/19/dagupan-city-heat-index-reaches-517-degrees-celsius

Rafferty, J. P. (2015, May 29). Heat wave. Retrieved April 20, 2019, from Encyclopedia
Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/science/heat-wave-meteorology