Teachers struggled to cross an overflowing river to reach a school in the Philippines during monsoon season.

Footage shows volunteer teachers braving the fast-flowing chest-deep deluge while locals guided them across in Pangasinan province, the Philippines on July 30.

Juvy Flores Ganalongo said: ‘This was the fastest route to school. There was also a mountain road but it would take us longer hours and it would be slippery.

‘Hopefully the village could have a proper bridge and road to the town so that it would be safer for everyone especially our students.’

The Philippines and other countries in Southeast Asia such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand are in the middle of their tropical monsoon rainy season, which lasts until October or November. Soaring temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius are often followed by powerful tropical storms with thunder, lightning, rain and flash floods.