(PAGASA 24-HOUR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST as of Friday, 11 July 2025) The Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) continues to affect Mindanao. FORECAST: The Zamboanga Peninsula will experience cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to the Southwest Monsoon. These conditions may lead to possible flash floods or landslides, especially during moderate to occasionally heavy rainfall. The rest of Mindanao will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms also influenced by the Southwest Monsoon. Winds will be light to moderate from the southwest, with slight to moderate seas (wave height between 0.6 to 2.1 meters).


TOP STORIES - Wednesday, December 21, 2022

TODAY’S TOP STORIES (from online news monitoring)

21 December 2022, Wednesday, as of 9AM

1. Chinese embassy hits US for 'driving a wedge' between China, PHL

[ABS-CBN News, CNN PHL, Inquirer, GMA News, PhilStar, Manila Bulletin] ©PIA-PMU

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/855054/chinese-embassy-says-us-trying-to-drive-a-wedge-between-china-philippines/story/

2. COVID-19 vaccination

-DOH awaits experts' advice on 2nd COVID-19 booster shot for general population

-Monovalent COVID-19 vaccine implementation to continue despite arrival of bivalent type–DOH

-Don't panic, DOH says on 600,000 health workers without 2nd booster

[CNN PHL, Inquirer, ABS-CBN News, GMA News, Manila Bulletin, PhilStar] ©PIA-PMU

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/12/20/2232098/dont-panic-doh-says-600000-health-workers-without-2nd-booster

3. COVID-19 infection

-DOH records 626 new COVID-19 cases; active tally drops to 17,263

-Philippines reports 121 new cases of omicron subvariants

-Philippines prepared for entry of other COVID-19 subvariants

[ABS-CBN News, GMA News, Inquirer, CNN PHL] ©PIA-PMU

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/855031/doh-records-626-new-covid-19-cases-active-tally-drops-to-17-263/story/

4. Possible extension of COVID-19 state of calamity under discussion between DOH, Malacañang

[CNN PHL, Manila Bulletin, Malaya, ABS-CBN News] ©PIA-PMU

https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/21/possible-extension-of-covid-19-state-of-calamity-under-discussion-between-doh-malacanang/

5. 39th Air Force chief Parreño assumes post

Marcos confident PAF would continue to be responsive under Parreño leadership

[CNN PHL, PhilStar, GMA News, Manila Bulletin, ABS-CBN News] ©PIA-PMU

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/855026/marcos-confident-paf-would-continue-to-be-responsive-under-parreno-leadership/story/

6. DOJ: Bantag, Zulueta on immigration lookout bulletin since Dec. 7

[Inquirer, ABS-CBN News, Manila Bulletin] ©PIA-PMU

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1707183/lookout-bulletin-for-bantag-zulueta-issued

7. Pasig government opens mega dialysis center

[Manila Bulletin, PhilStar, ABS-CBN News] ©PIA-PMU

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2022/12/21/2232250/pasig-government-opens-mega-dialysis-center

—Philippine Information Agency | PIA Monitoring Unit—