(PAGASA 24-HOUR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST as of Saturday, 12 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 – Thursday, May 18, 2023

TODAY’S TOP STORIES (from online news monitoring)

18 May 2023, Thursday, as of 9:00 a.m.

1. House leaderships:

-Gonzales replaces Arroyo as House Senior Deputy Speaker

-Arroyo says replacement as senior deputy speaker was House's prerogative

[Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, Philstar, Rappler, ABS-CBN News, GMA News, CNN PHL]

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/5/17/gonzales-new-house-senior-deputy-speaker.html

2. Marcos to revive Philsucor to help finance sugar cooperatives [Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, Philstar, CNN PHL, GMA News]

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/companies/870359/marcos-to-revive-philsucor-to-help-finance-sugar-cooperatives/story/

3. Violence vs women applies not only to husbands or fathers but also to women in lesbian relationships [Business Mirror, CNN PHL, Daily Tribune, Malaya, News5, Philstar, Rappler, Manila Bulletin]

https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/17/violence-vs-women-applies-not-only-to-husbands-or-fathers-but-also-to-women-in-lesbian-relationships

4. COMELEC approves internet voting for overseas voters in 2025 polls [DZBB, CNN PHL, Inquirer, Manila Bulletin]

https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/17/comelec-approves-internet-voting-for-overseas-voters-in-2025-polls

5. LPA spotted off Mindanao, likely to develop into a storm in 3 days [ABS-CBN News, CNN PHL, GMA News, Philstar, Manila Times]

https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/05/18/news/lpa-spotted-off-mindanao-likely-to-develop-into-a-storm-in-3-days/1892043

6. COVID pandemic:

-COVID admissions up but manageable –group

-Metro Manila positivity rate at 25.9%

[GMA News, Manila Times, Inquirer]

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1770691/metro-manila-positivity-rate-at-25-9

7. Abandoned bag with over P19 million worth of shabu found in NAIA [GMA News, Manila Bulletin, Inquirer]

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1770573/abandoned-bag-with-over-p19-million-worth-of-sha

© Philippine Information Agency Monitoring Unit