The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) generated a temperature map of the Philippines for February 2025 which shows regional variations in average monthly mean temperatures. The highest recorded temperature was 34.1°C in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, while the lowest was 19.2°C in BSU, La Trinidad. Most areas in the country experienced temperatures between 27.6°C and 32.5°C, with lower temperature recorded in the highlands of Northern Luzon and warmer conditions noted in lowland and coastal regions such as Mindoro, Palawan, and Mindanao. These variations highlight the effects of elevation and seasonal climate patterns, which can influence agriculture, energy use, and public health (PAGASA, 2025).
In Naga City, Climate Change continues to take a toll. Among its effects are rising temperatures and prolonged droughts that pose a significant threat to peri-urban and upland agricultural areas. Scientists at the Manila Observatory warn that under current climate adaptation efforts, the City’s average temperature will rise from a historical mean of 26.7 ºC (1971-2000) to 27.3 ºC by 2025. During the dry season, this increase may reach up to 1.2 ºC, pushing temperatures to 27.9 ºC (Naga City CLUP, 2022).
Experts highlight the alarming projections from the Local Climate Change Action Plan (LCCAP), which foresee a much steeper increase of 2.2 ºC by 2050. This rise in temperature, coupled with more erratic rainfall patterns, suggests that while Naga may experience more wet days in the future, it will also suffer from extreme El Niño events, exacerbating periods of drought. This means that even if there are more wet days, the amount of rain received in the area is less than what it normally would receive at that particular period.
Farmers in upland areas are already feeling the effects of unpredictable weather. Residents in urban barangays also struggle during the summer months, especially when power outages occur. Without electricity, cooling systems and fans become unusable, making the extreme heat even more unbearable. Households face difficulties in accessing water and the demand for cooling solutions increases, placing further strain on energy resources.
Authorities stress the urgency of implementing stronger climate adaptation measures. Strategies such as water conservation programs, drought-resistant crop cultivation, and reforestation efforts are among the proposed solutions to mitigate the impact of increasing temperatures. Additionally, urban adaptation efforts such as maintaining pocket parks, more vegetated green spaces, promoting community gardening, planting roadside trees, reduction of impermeable surfaces, and implementing rainwater harvesting systems can help mitigate rising temperatures and enhance resilience in the city’s urban areas.
As the city braces for a hotter and drier future, experts urge local governments and communities to work together in addressing these Climate Change impacts and prepare well for adaptation to this new normal.
References:
https://www.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/climate/climate-monitoring
https://www2.naga.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/CLUP-Naga-City-2021-30.pdf
