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Severe lack of rainfall in the Philippines uncovers a town that has been around for centuries. EcoWatch, which was established in 2005 in Ohio as a newspaper focused on environmental issues, is now a digital platform that shares high-quality, science-centered content about environmental topics, reasons, and ways to address them.
In the Philippines, a town that has been around for centuries became visible again after a prolonged period of dry weather caused a dam to dry up
In recent times, Southeast Asia has been facing dangerous levels of extreme heat, leading to the closure of schools, remote work mandates, and damage to crops.
In Nueva Ecija province, the remains of Pantabangan town have provided local residents with a new way to make money by attracting tourists who come to visit the historic site in the rice-growing region.
Aurea Delos Santos, a retired nurse in her early 60s, expressed excitement about the sunken church of old Pantabangan town resurfacing and mentioned her desire to see it, according to Reuters.
Transporting tourists to and from the island has greatly increased the income of certain residents.
Nelson Dellera, a local fisherman, mentioned that he used to make 200 pesos ($3.50) a day from fishing, but with the influx of tourists, he now earns between 1,500 to 1,800 pesos daily. This information was reported by Reuters.
A dam was built in the 1970s after the town was moved to make space for a reservoir. This dam now provides water and irrigation for Nueva Ecija and surrounding provinces, according to the local government as reported by The Guardian.
The water levels at Pantabangan dam have decreased by 85.3 feet so far this year, exposing the historical town and parts of a church that are almost 300 years old. Currently, the water level at the dam is 23 feet lower compared to last year.
Marlon Paladin, who works as a supervising engineer at the National Irrigation Administration in the country, informed AFP that certain areas of the town began to reappear in March after experiencing a prolonged period of very little rainfall.
Pantabangan has resurfaced five times before, but this time was the longest duration that Paladin had witnessed since the reservoir was built.
The Philippines is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to its weather patterns, which can lead to droughts and extreme sea temperatures during the warm and dry season, and intense storms during the wet season. In 2013, the country was hit by Super Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful storms on record.
According to Benison Estareja, a meteorologist from the Pagasa weather bureau in the Philippines, one of the main effects of climate change in the country is higher temperatures. He mentioned that the current heat could continue to rise in the future.
Check out this post on Instagram from the official BBC News account.
The Jesus Good Shepherd School in Imus, located south of Manila, made the uncommon decision to close and send students home last week. This school is known for having an air conditioner in every classroom. This information was reported by The New York Times.
Ana Marie Macarimbang, a fifth-grade teacher at the school for almost twenty years, mentioned that both students and teachers find it difficult to focus due to the air conditioning system not working properly. Despite being in a tropical country, she noted that the current heat is unusually intense.
The increase in worldwide temperatures caused by human activities is leading to more frequent and severe extreme weather events such as floods, heatwaves, wildfires, and intense storms.
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