MANILA: Twenty flights were cancelled on Friday morning due to bad weather, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said.

State weather bureau Philippine Atmispheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said tropical storm “Marce” was last eyed at 15 km north northeast of Roxas City, Capiz. PNA </s> Bookmark and refresh this page for the latest information on flight cancellations related to the possible eruption of the Mayon Volcano

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MANILA, Philippines – Some flights between Manila and Legazpi City were canceled on Monday, January 15, after volcanic debris and fast-moving hot gases were spotted at the Mayon Volcano in Albay.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) announced that Cebu Pacific flights 5J 321 and 5J 322 were canceled, as areas around the Mayon Volcano remain on high alert for a possible major eruption.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) flights between Manila and Legazpi City, meanwhile, have become delayed by 30 minutes to an hour.

"Please be advised that so far all flights to and from Legazpi are green and go, despite ash emissions from Mayon Volcano. The only effect has been flight delays of Manila-Legazpi and Legazpi-Manila flights, ranging from 30 minutes to 1 hour," PAL said in a statement.

The flag carrier also said that as of noon on Monday, all Manila-Naga, Clark-Legazpi, and Clark-Masbate flights are operational.

"We will issue periodic updates on the situation in case it will affect flight schedules to and from the Bicol Region and surrounding areas," PAL said.

The Mayon Volcano is under Alert Level 3, which means a "hazardous eruption is possible within weeks or even days." – Rappler.com </s> Another tropical storm, this one called Usman has so far killed at least 22 people as it passed through several provinces. The storm has triggered floods and landslides forcing villagers to flee to safer areas. The death toll is expected to rise.

More than 6,600 people have been stranded in various locations, while Cebu Air and national carrier Philippine Airlines have cancelled many flights from December 27 to 29.

Authorities report that the storm has forced the evacuation of at least 17,000 people in the Bicol region in the southern areas of the main Luzon island. Three are reported dead in Albay province due to a landslide. Another seven more were killed in Masbate, most of them drowning. Six more deaths were reported from Sorsogon and Camarines Sur provinces.

Civil defence officials report at least 16 people are reported bead in Bicol while six others were killed in Eastern Visayas.

Government forecasters said Sunday that heavy rain would continue over the next 24 hours in the northern Philippines.

About 20 cyclones pass through disaster-prone Philippines each year. </s> MANILA, Philippines — A small passenger plane carrying five people crashed into a house shortly after takeoff north of Manila on Saturday, killing all those onboard and five people on the ground, officials said.

The Piper-23 Apache plane took off from the airport in Plaridel town in Bulacan province then crash-landed and smashed into the house, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines spokesman Eric Apolonio and police said.

All five Filipinos on board the six-seat plane were killed, and the crash killed five people on the ground, Plaridel police chief Supt. Julio Lizardo said by phone. The crash ignited a fire in a house that was hit by the aircraft, he said.

Two other people on the ground were injured by burning debris, Lizardo said.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

Witnesses said the plane hit a tree and electric post before slamming into the house.

TV footage showed parts of the plane wreckage and the shattered walls of the house at the still-smoldering crash site.

Apolonio said the aircraft, which was operated by Lite Air Express, was bound for northern Laoag city. All the aircraft operated by the transport and courier company were grounded while investigators tried to determine the cause of the crash, he said. </s> Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday approved the closure of the country's most famous tourist island, Boracay, for six months from April 26, his spokesman said, paving the way for a major cleanup of what he had described as a "sewer pool".

MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday approved the closure of the country's most famous tourist island, Boracay, for six months from April 26, his spokesman said, paving the way for a major cleanup of what he had described as a "sewer pool".

Boracay, on the northern tip of central Panay island, is a top destination for local and foreign tourists and its sugary white sand, lively night scene and abundant water sports attracted nearly 2 million visitors last year.

The island earns revenue from luxury hotels such as Shangri-La's five-star Boracay Resort & Spa and beachside restaurants and also employs thousands of local residents.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque announced Duterte's decision via Twitter without giving further details.

Duterte, whose leadership style has been criticized as dictatorial, has castigated the local government and residents for "overzealous" development and permitting beachfront building with inadequate sewage and water treatment facilities.

Many businesses on the island have been releasing wastewater directly into the sea, violating rules on wastewater management, according to Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu.

Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra, described the discussion about Boracay's temporary closure during a cabinet meeting late on Wednesday as "exhaustive" and said affected companies would receive financial assistance.

The closure, which is shorter than the one-year shutdown recommended by the environment ministry, comes just a few weeks after the government gave Macau casino operator Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd permission to build a US$500 million casino and resort in Boracay.

Philippine Airlines said it will scale down its services to Caticlan and Kalibo airports, the gateways to Boracay, for six months from April following the government's decision.

It will expand flights to other tourist and provincial destinations in the Philippines, it said in a statement. </s> A small passenger plane carrying five people crashed into a house shortly after takeoff north of Manila today and killed all those onboard and four people on the ground, officials said. The Piper-23 Apache plane took off from the airport in Plaridel town in Bulacan province then crash-landed Saturday for a still-unknown reason and smashed into a house, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines spokesman Eric Apolonio and police said. All five Filipinos on board the six-seat plane were killed, and the crash killed four people on the ground, Plaridel police chief Supt. Julio Lizardo said by phone. The crash ignited a fire in a house that was hit by the aircraft, he said. Two other people on the ground were injured by burning debris, Lizardo said. TV footage showed parts of the plane wreckage and the shattered walls of the house at the still-smoldering crash site. Rescuers were looking for at least 1 missing person in the rubble of the house. Apolonio said the aircraft, which was operated by Lite Air Express, was bound for northern Laoag city. All the aircraft operated by the transport and courier company were grounded while investigators tried to determine the cause of the crash, he said. </s> MANILA, Philippines -- A small passenger plane carrying five people crashed into a house shortly after takeoff north of Manila on Saturday, killing all those onboard and five people on the ground, officials said. The Piper-23 Apache plane took off from the airport in Plaridel town in Bulacan province then crash-landed and smashed into the house, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines spokesman Eric Apolonio and police said.

All five Filipinos on board the six-seat plane were killed, and the crash killed five people on the ground, Plaridel police chief Supt. Julio Lizardo said by phone. The crash ignited a fire in a house that was hit by the aircraft, he said.

Two other people on the ground were injured by burning debris, Lizardo said.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

Witnesses said the plane hit a tree and electric post before slamming into the house.

TV footage showed parts of the plane wreckage and the shattered walls of the house at the still-smoldering crash site.

Apolonio said the aircraft, which was operated by Lite Air Express, was bound for northern Laoag city. All the aircraft operated by the transport and courier company were grounded while investigators tried to determine the cause of the crash, he said. </s> Manila - At least 22 people have died due to landslides and flooding triggered by a tropical cyclone that brought heavy rains to the central Philippines, a disaster agency official said on Sunday. The people, including a three-year-old boy, were reported dead as of Sunday morning, said disaster agency spokesman Edgar Posadas, after a tropical cyclone barrelled through the eastern Visayas and Bicol regions on Saturday.

"The wind was not strong but it caused flooding and landslides," Posadas said.

The number of casualties could rise as rescue and retrieval operations continue. Local media have reported dozens missing or trapped by the landslides.

A regional office of the disaster agency said it was working to confirm the deaths of 38 people in the Bicol region, located south of the main island of Luzon.

Thousands of passengers were stranded at seaports, airports and bus terminals as dozens of inter-island trips were cancelled.

The tropical depression, which has since been downgraded to a low pressure area, left the Philippines on Sunday afternoon.

About 20 tropical cyclones hit the Philippines every year. </s> Philippines searches for 18 crewmen of ship sunk by typhoon

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine coast guard pressed its search Tuesday for 18 missing Filipino crewmen from a cargo ship that sank at the height of Typhoon Nock-Ten, which struck the country on Christmas Day, spoiling holiday celebrations in Asia's largest Catholic nation.

Coast guard spokesman Armand Balilo said 14 other crewmen have been rescued and one died after the M/V Starlite Atlantic sank off Mabini town in Batangas province, where the powerful typhoon passed Monday on its way out of the country into the South China Sea.

The ship sought cover in an anchorage area as the typhoon passed and its crew decided to move to safer waters but encountered huge waves and fierce winds, causing it to sink, Balilo said, adding that another cargo ship ran aground in Mabini.

At least seven people died from the typhoon, including the sunken ship's crewman and villagers who drowned from flooding or were pinned by fallen trees or a collapsed wall in Albay and Quezon provinces.

President Rodrigo Duterte was to fly to the hard-hit town of Virac on the eastern island province of Catanduanes, where the typhoon made landfall on Sunday night, to distribute food packs to residents. Ahead of the president's visit, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and top military officials flew to Virac and were stunned by the extent of devastation.

"Their common perception is that Virac is completely devastated," military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said of the coastal town of more than 70,000 people. The province's coconut plantations, the primary industry, were destroyed and may take five to 10 years to recover, he said.

Nock-Ten, locally known as Nina, forced more than 420,000 villagers to abandon their Christmas celebrations for emergency shelters and other safer grounds. It also knocked down power in several provinces, dimming holiday festivities. More than 300 flights were delayed or rescheduled and ferries were barred from sailing, stranding more than 12,000 holiday travelers.

The storm was one of the strongest to hit the Philippines since Typhoon Haiyan left more than 7,300 people dead or missing and displaced over 5 million in 2014. But officials in some provinces initially found it difficult to convince people to abandon their Christmas celebrations and head for the shelters before the storm hit. Some officials said they had to impose forced evacuations.

About 20 typhoons and storms lash the Philippines each year. In the past 65 years, seven typhoons have hit on Christmas Day, the Southeast Asian nation's biggest holiday.
Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila announces the cancellation of 20 flights due to bad weather in the Philippines caused by Tropical Storm Marce.