Pagasa: Rains threaten Cory funeral procession

Rains threaten to mar the funeral procession of the late former President Corazon Aquino from the Manila Cathedral to the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City Wednesday. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the rains are likely to be gusty but intermittent. "May chance pa rin na umulan, pabugso-bugso at patigil-tigil (Chances are there will be rains, gusty and intermittent)," Pagasa weather bureau chief Nathaniel Cruz said in a radio interview. Pagasa, in its bulletin for 5 p.m. Tuesday, forecast cloudy skies and scattered rainshowers and isolated thunderstorms in Luzon and Visayas. "Luzon and Visayas will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and isolated thunderstorms while Mindanao will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms," it said. Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest will prevail throughout the archipelago with moderate to rough seas, it added. In Pagasa’s extended weather forecast for Wednesday, Metro Manila will be cloudy with rainshowers and thunderstorms, with temperatures ranging from 24 to 31 degrees Celsius. Since Monday, Filipinos from all walks of life had braved heavy rains to pay their last respects to the late former President at the Manila Cathedral. Organizers of Mrs. Aquino’s wake at the Manila Cathedral asked prospective donors for tents, umbrellas and even raincoats for the well-wishers who had been standing in line since 7 a.m. “Kami humihiling sa pwede mag-donate ng payong at kapote, sila ay mababasa dito (We are asking for donations in the form of umbrellas and raincoats. Many are getting drenched here)," Maria Montelibano, one of the organizers, said in a radio interview. - GMANews.TV