(PAGASA 24-HOUR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST as of Saturday, 19 July 2025) As of 3:00 AM today, the center of Tropical Depression “CRISING” was located at 530 km east of Juban, Sorsogon (13.0°N, 128.9°E). It has maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h near the center and gustiness of up to 70 km/h. It is moving west-northwest at 15 km/h. Tropical Depression Crising is currently affecting Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte, while the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) continues to affect the rest of Mindanao. Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte will experience cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms due to TD Crising. Flash floods or landslides are possible during moderate to at times heavy rainfall. Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and the rest of Caraga will have cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms caused by the Southwest Monsoon. The rest of Mindanao will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms, also due to the Southwest Monsoon. Winds will be moderate from the southwest to west, with moderate seas (wave height: 1.2 to 2.5 meters).


TOP STORIES – Wednesday, 21 June 2023

TODAY’S TOP STORIES (from online and print media monitoring)

21 June 2023, Wednesday, as of 5:00 p.m.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa gets his bivalent COVID-19 jab. Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News

1. Bivalent vaccine rollout:

-Marcos tells LGUs: Make sure vulnerable Filipinos get bivalent COVID-19 shots

-Herbosa gets first bivalent vaccine jab in NCR

[ABS-CBN News, Rappler, CNN Philippines, GMA News, Manila Times]

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/21/23/philippines-rolls-out-bivalent-covid-vaccine

2. Marcos says PHL making progress in talks with China, downplays recent Chinese coast guard shadowing [Business Mirror, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Pilipino Star Ngayon, Manila Bulletin, Manila Standard, Manila Times]

https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/06/21/news/ph-making-progress-in-talks-with-china

3. Zubiri signs Maharlika Investment Fund bill [ABS-CBN News, CNN PHL, GMA News]

http://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/6/21/migz-zubiri-signs-maharlika-investment-fund-bill.html

4. PBBM vows bonus for DA personnel, cites agriculture role in development  [Bulgar, Daily Tribune, Manila Standard]

https://manilastandard.net/news/national/314341950/pbbm-vows-bonus-for-da-personnel-cites-agriculture-role-in-development.html

5. Sandiganbayan junks bid to present addt'l witness testimony in Marcos ill-gotten wealth case [Abante Tonite, Manila Standard, CNN PHL]

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/6/20/sandiganbayan-etpi-case-marcos-family.html

6. Senators reject DOH chief’s plan to hire nursing board flunkers [Philippine Daily Inquirer, Pilipino Star Ngayon, Manila Bulletin, The Philippine Star, CNN Philippines]

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1790966/senators-reject-doh-chiefs-plan-to-hire-nursing-board-flunkers

7. AFGHAN REFUGEES

-PHL decision on housing Afghan refugees seen next month

-Duterte weighs in on Afghan refugee issue

-Bishop calls for compassion for Afghan refugees

-Housing Afghans in PHL the highest form of compliance to human rights – senator

[GMA News, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Pilipino Mirror, ABS-CBN News]

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/873552/ph-decision-on-housing-afghan-refugees-seen-next-month-amb-romualdez/story/

8. Impending LRT fare hike opposed [Bulgar, Manila Bulletin, Business Mirror, Philippine Daily Inquirer]

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1790948/impending-lrt-fare-hike-opposed

9. ‘FE.1’ COVID-19 Omicron subvariant:

-FE.1 variant may cause severe COVID infections

-New Omicron sublineage FE.1 no cause for alarm –expert

[GMA News, Manila Times, The Philippine Star, Manila Standard, Manila Bulletin]

https://manilastandard.net/news/top-stories/314342004/fe-1-variant-may-cause-severe-covid-infections.html

© Philippine Information Agency Monitoring Unit