The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reinstated its “heatstroke break” policy Monday to protect thousands of field personnel from extreme temperatures during the region’s hot season.

Under Memorandum Circular No. 04, about 4,000 traffic enforcers and street sweepers are entitled to a 30-minute break during their shifts to seek shade and hydrate. The policy will remain in effect through 31 May.

“It is hot even here under the shade,” MMDA general manager Nicolas Torre III said. “It is much worse for our people out in the heat whose only protection is a hat. We want to protect their health and ensure their work environment is manageable.”

The agency said the breaks will be implemented on a rotating basis to ensure that traffic management and road-clearing operations continue without disruption.

Traffic aides on the 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. shift may take their break between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., while those on the 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. shift are scheduled between 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Similar staggered windows have been established for the 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. shifts.

For street sweepers, those working 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. will rest between 11 a.m. and noon, while the 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. shift will break from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Personnel on the 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. shift will observe a regular lunch break from noon to 1 p.m.

The agency added that an additional 15-minute break will be granted if the heat index reaches 40 degrees Celsius or higher.

To launch the program, MMDA chairperson Don Artes distributed drinking water and insulated bottles to personnel at the agency’s Timog Base in Quezon City. The initiative is supported by Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Co. Inc.