LPA in Eastern Samar unlikely to turn into cyclone: PAGASA

THE low pressure area (LPA) last tracked 500 kilometers east of Borongan City, Eastern Samar is unlikely to develop into a tropical cyclone, the weather bureau said Monday.

“This LPA is embedded along the ITCZ (intertropical convergence zone) and has a slim chance to develop into a tropical cyclone,” said Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Adminis- tration (PAGASA) weather forecaster Obet Badrina.

PAGASA is expecting the LPA to become cloud clusters. No other LPA is being monitored outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, Badrina said. The ITCZ will cause scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over the Visayas, Region 4-B (Mimaropa), Bicol Region, Aurora, and Quezon.

Moderate to at times heavy rains may result in flash floods or landslides in these areas.

Badrina said the rest of the country will experience isolated rain showers due to localized thunderstorms. Severe thunderstorms, however, may also cause flash floods or landslides.

Light to moderate winds and slight to moderate seas will continue to prevail across the archipelago,

PAGASA said.

Kabacan town in Cotabato meanwhile was placed under a state of calamity due to widespread floods brought about by inclement weather.

The Sangguniang Bayan approved the declaration last Friday following the deep floods that marred the ten barangays in the municipality. PAGASA earlier said ITCZ spurred the heavy rains in the province.

Gov’t to back Japanese soldiers’ repatriation

By Joel E. Zurbano

DEPARTMENT of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr. has assured Japanese officials that the Philippine government will support and cooperate in the repatriation efforts of the remains of Japanese soldiers who perished in the Philippines during World War II.

In his meeting with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) of Japan headed by Minister for Economic Affairs Nihei Daisuke of the Embassy of Japan, Abalos said his agency and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) are ready to assist the Japanese government and will be closely working with them to ensure that the recovery and repatriation of the Japanese war-dead remains will be carried out smoothly.

“Japan remains one of the closest partners and allies of the Philippine government and we are ready to assist them in the recovery of the remains of their fallen soldiers,” he said.

Abalos said as the lead of the repatriation effort, the DILG is in a strategic position to ensure that the repatriation process will be well-coordinated at the local government unit (LGU) level where some of the remains lie.

He also said the DILG is ready to activate its resources and manpower to assist the Japanese government in consonance with the Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) signed between the Philippine and Japanese governments to facilitate the proper collection, handling, storage, and shipment of the remains of Japanese soldiers.

In May 2018, the Philippines and Japan signed an MOC to facilitate the proper collection, handling, storage, and shipment of the remains of Japanese soldiers who died during World War II in the Philippines.

Finally, budgetary support amounting to $750 million under the Philippines First Sustainable Recovery Development Policy Loan (DPL) will support the country’s policy reforms aimed at boosting environmental protection and climate resilience. Diokno meanwhile expressed optimism that the government will exceed its target revenues for this year.

The finance chief, during his weekly press chat, said: “On the fiscal side, I am pleased to report that our revenue collections for the first five months of the year improved to P1.6 trillion, up by P155.6 billion or 10.8% compared to the same period last year.”

DOF data show that revenues from January to May 2023 stood at P1.592 trillion, 10.83% higher than the P1.437 trillion collected last year.

The Development Budget Coordination Committee is expecting government revenues to reach P3.73 trillion for 2023. Broken down, tax collections accounted for the bulk of the state revenues amounting to P1.41 trillion, up 9.71% from P1.3 trillion year-on-year.