A centuries-old village submerged by dam construction in the 1970s is resurfacing due to falling water levels caused by drought gripping much of the Philippines.
The ruins, located in the middle of the Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija province, attract many tourists, despite the extreme heat that hits the region.
“I’m happy because before we just saw the cross, but now we can see the church better,” explains Nely Villena, a tourist.
The Philippines will experience an unusual episode of high heat until mid-May, the national meteorological agency said on Sunday, after a record recorded the day before in Manila.
The mercury reached 38.8 degrees Celsius in the capital on Saturday, with a heat index (felt temperature) of 45°C, according to national statistics.
In Camiling, in the province of Tarlac (northwest), the thermometer showed 40.3 ° C on Saturday, a national record in 2024.
“All parts of the country, not just Metro Manila, are expected to experience higher temperatures until the second week of May,” said Glaiza Escullar of the national weather agency.
In Southeast Asia, thousands of schools have suspended in-person classes due to the heat.