Heat Early Warning System in the Philippines: Current status and recommendations
This case study examines the current state of the Philippines’ heat early warning system, including how heat risk is understood and monitored, and how warnings are issued, communicated and acted upon across institutions. It finds growing knowledge of heat as a hazard and its impacts on mortality. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration operates a national Heat Index-based monitoring system, while heat warnings are communicated through established institutional channels. However, preparedness measures remain fragmented across sectors rather than unified under a national Heat Action Plan, and heat governance has yet to become fully institutionalised within the national Disaster Risk Reduction and Management system.
It complements the global report Understanding the Global Landscape of Heat Early Warning Systems and is part of a series of case studies across eight countries in the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance. Together, the case studies apply a common analytical framework to assess heat early warning systems and identify good practices, gaps and enabling conditions for people-centred, impact-based early warnings for extreme heat.