Local government units (LGUs) should establish free drinking water stations and cooling centers to protect residents from extreme heat amid forecasts of a potentially strong El Niño, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said Tuesday.

Hontiveros urged LGUs to work with the national government to provide free drinking water through hydration stations to help prevent heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke.

“Dapat may libreng drinking water stations sa mga lugar kung saan araw-araw na nagtatrabaho at nagtitipon ang ating mga kababayan. Hindi dapat dagdag gastos ang pag-iwas sa dehydration at heat stroke (There should be free drinking water stations in places where our fellow Filipinos work and gather every day. Preventing dehydration and heat stroke should not mean additional expenses),” Hontiveros, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, said in a statement.

She said monitoring and reporting heat index levels alone would not suffice, stressing the need to ensure public access to clean drinking water.

Hontiveros also suggested converting existing public spaces, such as schools, libraries, museums and community centers, into cooling shelters during periods of extreme heat.

Malls and other private establishments could likewise designate comfortable, air-conditioned common areas where people can rest and cool down without having to make a purchase, she added.

With experts projecting a potentially strong El Niño, Hontiveros stressed the need for both public and private sectors to prepare for its effects.

She said these measures are among the immediate solutions that could help mitigate the effects of the projected “Super El Niño.”

The Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Reinvigorating Investment and Sustainable Economic Growth, which Hontiveros also chairs, has been tasked with looking into measures to address the phenomenon’s anticipated effects. (PNA)