LPA outside northern boundary of PAR may develop into tropical cyclone — PAGASA

 

By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz

Published Jul 31, 2025 05:50 pm

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Thursday, July 31 said a low-pressure area (LPA) just outside the northern boundary of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) has a high chance of developing into a tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours.

PAGASA weather specialist Leanne Loreto said the LPA was first monitored on Thursday morning.

As of 4 p.m., the weather disturbance was located 955 kilometers east-northeast of extreme Northern Luzon.

Although it is not expected to directly affect the country at present, Loreto said the weather system may briefly enter the PAR before moving out again.

If the LPA intensifies into a tropical cyclone within the PAR, it will be named “Fabian.”

Loreto also noted that based on historical data, two to three tropical cyclones enter or form within the PAR during August.

Meanwhile, cloud clusters east of Mindanao are being closely monitored for potential development into a tropical cyclone.

The southwest monsoon (habagat) continues to affect Central and Northern Luzon but is expected to gradually weaken in the coming days, bringing improved weather conditions.

In the next 24 hours, Loreto said residents of Ilocos Region, Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Apayao, Abra, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, and Pampanga can expect cloudy skies with scattered monsoon rains and thunderstorms, accompanied by moderate to occasionally heavy rains that could trigger flash floods or landslides.

Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, and Visayas will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to the habagat, while Mindanao will have similar conditions brought by localized thunderstorms.

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Which Philippine destinations are most worth visiting for long-term residents?

 

Ronna Lou

Matchmaking Consultant (2016–present)Jan 22

I guess it depends on your preferences.

For example, if you like the beach vibe, you can visit Siargao, Boracay, or Palawan.

El Nido, Palawan

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

If you are into fresh mountain air and the smell of pine, Baguio or Banaue are good destinations.

Banaue Rice Terraces

Photo by John Renzo Aledia from Pexels

For a more modern feel, with a skyline that can compete with other beautiful cities around the world, Metro Manila and Cebu City should be on your list.

Downtown Cebu

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But if you prefer an open wilderness and experience exotic wildlife with the amenities of a developing city, Bohol or Davao are your best options.

Chocolate Hills, Bohol

Photo by Jondave Libiran from Pexels

The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, offers a wide variety of destinations that even locals will want to visit soon. Whether you go to the beach, explore a modern city, or hike up a mountain, you’ll get to experience firsthand the rich culture, history, and heritage that the country is founded on.

The art of ending the day well

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

YES, we have to learn the art of how to end our day well. That’s because it is our way also of how to end our life well, ready to meet God in judgment. We just have to be realistic about the real purpose of our life here on earth, so that we avoid getting entangled in things that are not actually necessary for us even if they seem to us as indispensable at the moment.

We are reminded of this need in that gospel episode where someone asked Christ to mediate on the inheritance issue with that person’s brother. (cfr. Lk 12,13-21) Of course, Christ, knowing the motive of that fellow, refused to do so. Instead, he reminded the person to focus more on what truly matters in life, that is, to seek the real treasure. Rather than focusing on earthly treasures, he told him to be “rich in matters of God.”

In our daily life, we should have a running account, so to speak, of how our life is going in terms of achieving its real purpose. We are not here mainly for earthly gains, although they figure as a means to pursue our real goal. We are here to gain our own sanctification through all the events and circumstances of our life, whether ordinary or extraordinary.

Let us remember that every moment in our life, irrespective of how it affects us—whether good or bad according to some earthly or temporal criteria—is an occasion to interact with God who always intervenes in our life, testing us but also guiding us and giving us all the means that we need. Yes, we have to be aware that every moment is a moment for sanctification.

We need to train ourselves to think that way and to act accordingly. That’s why we need to have some running account of how we are faring in this ultimate concern of ours in this life. And so, at the end of the day, we should make some kind of accounting to see if we are progressing or not, if there are things to be improved or to be more focused on, if we are equipping ourselves adequately to pursue our real goal, etc.

The ideal thing to happen is that at the end of the day, before going to bed, we should make some kind of examination of conscience so we would have a good idea of how things are going in our life. This way, we would always be ready to face God in judgment.

We have to learn to leave our earthly and temporal concerns so that we can focus more on the definitive eternal life that is promised to us. This is just to be realistic about our life, cutting away whatever fantastic and fictional ideas we have about our life here on earth.

To be sure, this will give us a lot of confidence and hope no matter how things go. We would know what to do, both in good times and in bad times. The only thing necessary is to do the will of God which, as Christ spelled out to us, can involve denying ourselves, carrying the cross and following Christ himself wherever he leads us. (cfr. Mt 16,24)

We avoid getting entangled in an unnecessary drama that would only complicate our life without leading us to where we should be in the end.