As the mercury soars in Occidental Mindoro, the ongoing power crisis is exacerbating health risks for children in the province, prompting calls for urgent government action.

The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office has reported at least 10 instances of emergency medical aid being administered to schoolchildren suffering from dizziness in San Jose since March.

The local agency attributes these health issues to the extreme heat and the rotational blackouts, which leave entire communities without electricity for up to 20 hours a day.

READ: Omeco announces rotational power supply on Saturday

The situation comes at a time when the weather is unbearably hot in the province.

On April 10, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration reported that San Jose, along with Butuan City, had recorded the highest computed heat index of 47 degrees Celsius since the start of the summer season.

The residents of Occidental Mindoro are desperately seeking immediate solutions to their plight and urging the national government to take swift action in resolving the power crisis.

Netizens have taken to social media to express their concerns, with many pointing out that the power crisis is affecting the education of students. Some have said that their children cannot study at night due to the lack of electricity, and others have called for classes to be suspended until the power problem is addressed.

Meanwhile, residents, particularly those with health issues such as asthma, fear for their safety, with some saying that they are unable to sleep at night due to the heat.

The provincial government has placed Occidental Mindoro under a state of calamity, with Vice Governor Diana Apigo Tayag acknoledging that the rotational blackout is having a severe impact on the health, education, and livelihoods of the people.

READ: Occidental Mindoro placed under state of calamity due to worsening power crisis

Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative General Manager Celso Garcia has identified the root of the problem as the almost P1 billion subsidy that Occidental Mindoro Consolidated Power Corporation is charged by the National Power Corporation for the purchase of diesel to run the power plant.

The crisis has plunged the residents of Occidental Mindoro into a state of despair, leaving them to ponder how much longer they must endure such dire circumstances.

The people are appealing to the government to act with urgency and determination in addressing the power woes, while also extending crucial aid to alleviate the suffering of those impacted by the crisis.

READ: Marcos promise on renewable energy to solve Mindoro power crisis met with skepticism