PH among Asian states that endured unusual heat from Dec. 2024 to Feb. 2025

The Philippines placed third among 51 Asian countries and territories that experienced unusual heat linked to climate change between December 2024 and February 2025, a new study released on Wednesday has found.

Non-profit organization Climate Central, which is made up of scientists and communicators that study and report on the facts regarding climate change and its effects on people's lives, said that the Philippines had a total of 74 days under Climate Shift Index (CSI) level 2 or higher.

CSI measures how much climate change affects local daily temperatures globally. A CSI of level 2 indicates that climate change made temperatures at least twice more likely to occur.

Only Brunei (83 days) and Maldives (81 days) ranked higher than the Philippines.

In addition, Manila came in third place out of 38 megacities—areas with a population of 10 million or more—that experienced heat that was strongly influenced by climate change for at least 30 days or one-third of the season.

Together with Jakarta, Indonesia, Manila recorded a CSI of level 2 for 69 days. At 89 days, Lagos, Nigeria, came in first, followed by Tamil Nadu, India, at 81 days.

“Cities are hotspots of heat risk due to their high population density and land development patterns that intensify heat in urban heat islands. This is especially true for the world’s largest cities,” Climate Central said in the study.

Climate Central also said that the Philippines had a 0.7°C seasonal temperature anomaly, which pertained to the difference between the area’s average temperature and the current climate-change-induced temperature.

The study, which covers 220 countries and 940 cities, further said that the extreme heat felt all over the world for the past three months was an effect of human-induced climate change caused by burning coal, oil, and methane gas.

In response to the study, environmental group Greenpeace called on the Philippines to immediately pass the proposed Climate Accountability (CLIMA) Act, which provides a legal framework for climate loss and damage accountability.

“This report spotlights the fact that in the Philippines, when we’re not being battered by super typhoons, we’re being roasted by extreme heat. In order to secure Philippine communities from the worst impacts of the climate crisis, the onus is on the Marcos Jr. administration to ensure climate justice is the top agenda of the government… As a first step, the government should guarantee the swift passage of the Climate Accountability or CLIMA Bill,” Greenpeace Philippines Climate and Energy Campaigner Khevin Yu said on Friday.

"We’ve seen how the heat recently caused disruptions in schooling and the way it sent Filipinos to hospitals last year. It’s crucial for the government to ensure that the country is prepared for hotter months ahead—and potentially hotter years as we face the brunt of the climate crisis,” he added.

Yu said the national government should institute preparedness measures such as better weather forecasting systems that include early warnings for heat and grants for farmers and fisherfolk to protect their harvest.

He said local government units should focus on creating more green spaces, which could serve as a refuge for people, particularly sectors vulnerable to heat: senior citizens, children, and persons with disabilities.

Greenpeace also urged candidates in the May 2025 midterm elections to prioritize climate justice once they assume office. — VBL, GMA Integrated News