Many areas in Luzon may experience rains due to the combined effects of the trough of a low-pressure area (LPA) and the southwest monsoon or “habagat”, a weather forecaster said Wednesday. Scattered rain showers and thunderstorms are expected over Metro Manila, the Ilocos, Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Bicol regions, as well as Lubang Islands and Kalayaan Islands. The LPA was last spotted 560 km. east of Calayan, Cagayan. “It still has a slim chance of developing into a tropical depression. It will likely dissipate either this afternoon or by Thursday,” said Benison Estareja of the Philippine Atmospheric,

A measure exempting medical supplies and devices for Covid-19 prevention, control, and treatment from taxes has been filed at the House of Representatives. Albay Rep. Joey Salceda filed on Wednesday House Bill 9958, or the Covid-19 Supplies Tax Exemption Act, in response to President Rodrigo Duterte’s request to Congress to provide tax relief to manufacturers of medical grade oxygen. “This is an emergency, as well as a presidential request. So, we’ll take it up next week,” Salceda said. Under the bill, the Secretary of Finance and the Secretary of Health shall jointly and periodically issue a list of critical or