Davao City responders aid 91 people during Undas 2026, mostly for heat-related illness

Emergency responders in Davao City assisted 91 people during the three-day Undas observance, with most cases linked to the heat, according to SunStar.

Lyndon Leovic Ancajas, acting head of the Local Emergency Communications and Response Division of Davao City Central 911, said on Davao City Disaster Radio on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, that the period was generally peaceful. "Basically, peaceful siya. Wala'y major incident (It was basically peaceful. There was no major incident)," he said.

Ancajas said most of those helped felt faint, dizzy or weak, or had high blood pressure due to the heat, while others had minor wounds. About six people were taken to hospitals as a precaution; some have been discharged and others were awaiting discharge.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), citing Pagasa data, said the city's heat index reached 40.1°C as of 2 p.m. on Nov. 2, within the "extreme caution" level where heat cramps and heat exhaustion are possible.

Responders also dealt with three grass fires at the Ma-a Public Cemetery and in Lubogan, which Ancajas attributed to unattended candles. Separately, the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee of Mintal reported a grass fire at the Mintal Public Cemetery at around 12:18 p.m. on Nov. 2. Barangay responders and the Bureau of Fire Protection Mintal Fire Station put it out after a resident reported smoke.

With El Niño expected to last until early 2027, Ancajas said the CDRRMO regularly posts heat index advisories so schools can track conditions. He said both school principals and local governments may suspend classes: principals if a school is crowded or poorly ventilated, and local governments when forecasts point to extreme heat. He stressed there is no "one-rule-fits-all" approach.

Ancajas said the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has begun discussing mitigation, preparedness and response measures for El Niño, with agriculture expected to be hit hardest. City Administrator Francis Mark Layog, on behalf of the mayor, has ordered follow-up meetings to track progress. Heat mitigation measures for large events have also been discussed and put in place, he said.

He urged residents to keep emergency supplies good for at least 72 hours and to carry umbrellas, since hot afternoons may be followed by sudden heavy rain.