Here are the day's top stories in photos.
Fire hits ferry in Real, Quezon
Passengers hold on to floating objects as they swim to safety after a fire engulfed the passenger vessel MV Mercraft 2 approximately 500 yards from the port of Real, Quezon on Monday. The ferry, which was carrying 124 passengers, left the port of Polillo Island travelling to Real, Quezon around 5 a.m., according to the Philippine Coast Guard. Photo courtesy of the Philippine Coast Guard
House of Representatives receives Certificates of Canvass
Staff of the House of Representatives receive ballot boxes, containing the Certificates of Canvass (COCs) and Election Returns (ERs) for the presidential and vice presidential elections, delivered from the Senate of the Philippines on Monday. Members of the 18th Congress are set to convene starting May 24 as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), which will canvass and proclaim the winning candidates for President and Vice President in the May 9, 2022 elections. Senate PRIB handout
P750 Minimum Wage Bill pushed
Police officers block a group of protesters who are urging the lower house to pass the P750 Minimum Wage Bill before the end of the Duterte administration, at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on Monday. Added security were assigned in and outside Batasang Pambansa Complex as the 18th Congress is scheduled to convene for the canvassing of votes for both presidential and vice presidential election starting May 24. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
COVID-19 vaccine booster shots at roadside vax site
A roadside vaccination site offers COVID-19 vaccine boosters in Barangay South Triangle, Quezon City on Monday. The government has been urged to ramp up its vaccination program, intensify its surveillance of COVID-19 cases, and stock up on antivirals amid a possible rise in infections. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
Envoys pay courtesy visit to Marcos
Japanese Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa greets presumptive President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. during a courtesy visit at the latter's headquarters in Mandaluyong City on Monday. Marcos also received three other envoys - South Korean Ambassador Kim Inchul, Indian Ambassador Shambhu S. Kumaran and United States Chargé d’Affaires Heather Variava. BBM Media Office handout
Biden meets with Japanese Emperor Naruhito
US President Joe Biden (left) leaves the Imperial Palace in Tokyo after meeting with Japan's Emperor Naruhito (right) in this handout photo taken and provided on Monday by Japan's Imperial Household Agency. Biden, who made his first trip to Asia as president, visited South Korea before traveling to Japan for a series of meetings including a summit of the Quad group which includes Australia, India and Japan on May 24. Imperial Household Agency handout, AFP
Back to the old ways
A female Afghan news anchor wears a face veil during a broadcast on TV in Kandahar, Afghanistan on Sunday. The Taliban government on May 19 notified Afghan media outlets that the order for women to cover their faces in public extends to the entire population and therefore women TV presenters have to follow, especially because they set an example for the country. EPA-EFE