CARTOON FOR MAY 15, 2026

‘SIZZLING CITY’: Iloilo City heat index hits 47°C as urbanization bites

Concrete pavements, fewer trees, and shrinking open spaces are making Iloilo City significantly hotter than nearby towns, with the heat index already reaching a dangerous 47 degrees Celsius, city officials said. Patricia Anne Constantinopla, resident meteorologist of the city’s Emergency Operations Center, said rapid urbanization has worsened the Urban Heat Island