2017 Year In Review: Philippines

Another year is about to pass and as we bid goodbye to this momentous 2017, let’s us look back at its most significant events.

This is the 2017 Year in Review. Here are the top moments that kept our country abuzz in 2017 for months and months at a time.

10 – Philippines hosts Miss Universe pageant after 21 years

 

Miss Universe 2016 was the 65th Miss Universe pageant, was held on 30 January 2017 at the Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines. Filipina titlist Pia Wurtzbach crowned Iris Mittenaere of France as her successor at the end of the event.

It was PHL’s third time hosting the prestigious beauty pageant and the first in 21 years.

The contestants participated in fashion shows in the Philippine cities of Davao, Cebu, and Vigan, where yours truly covered.

9 – Xander Ford Transformation

Previously known as Marlou Arizala of the now disbanded-boy band Hasht5, Ford became popular after he had undergone a highly-publicized plastic surgery last October.

Prior to that, the band Hasht5 has experienced online bullying "because of their physical appearances". The newly-found fame of the internet personality was met with both positive and negative responses from Filipino netizens.

8 – Philippines hosts the 30th and 31st ASEAN Summits 

Also known as the 2017 ASEAN Summits, these diplomatic conferences were  held in the Philippines from 28–29 April and 10–14 November 2017. It marked the third and fourth time the ASEAN Summit was held in the Philippines.

One of the action steps by the ASEAN leaders, is the releasing of the statement on April 28, expressing "grave concern" over tensions in the Korean peninsula arising from North Korea's testing of nuclear weapons as well as ballistic missile tests conducted within the month and urged North Korea to fully comply with UN Security Council Resolutions and the international law. They also urged for self-restraint for all parties concerned.

Another significant event was the meeting of world leaders, including the first time personal meetup of the ASEAN Chair Philippine Pres. Rodrigo Duterte and US President Donald Trump.

7 – Resorts World Manila Attack

On June 2, 2017, More than a hundred people at the Resorts World Manila entertainment complex were either killed or injured when Jessie Javier Carlos, a debt-riddled former civil servant, caused a stampede and set fire to casino tables and slot machine chairs around midnight. 37 people died from the initial stampede and smoke inhalation from the fire.

The attack was financially motivated and Carlos later committed suicide following a confrontation with the police.

6 – Kita Kita (“I See You”) surpasses Heneral Luna as the highest-grossing Philippine independent film

 

Written and directed by Sigrid Andrea P. Bernardo, the romantic comedy was set in Sapporo, Japan. It follows Lea (played by Alessandra de Rossi), a Filipino tourist guide in Japan who goes temporarily blind having witnessed her Japanese fiancè's infidelity. Fellow Filipino and charmer Tonyo (Empoy Marquez) makes a sudden appearance and befriends the visually impaired Lea in best possible ways.

The film is a co-production between Piolo Pascual's and Joyce Bernal's Spring Films, and Viva Films. It had about ₱320 million in sales against a measly budget of ₱10 million.

In a poll by CNN Philippines, the movie was selected among the romantic-comedy films considered the best in the last 25 years.

5 – The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law

 

The TRAIN law is the first package of the administration's much-awaited Comprehensive Tax Reform Program. Described by President Duterte as “the administration’s biggest Christmas gift to the Filipino people” where accordingly, 99% taxpayers will benefit.

All taxpayers who earn not exceeding ₱250,000 ($5,000) yearly, will be exempt from paying Philippines taxes. Excise taxes, however, were increased on fuel products, sweetened beverages and brand-new vehicles.

4 – Typhoons Urduja and Vinta

Typhoon Vinta (Intl. Name: Typhoon Tembin), was a deadly tropical cyclone that impacted the southern Philippines in late December 2017. Vinta happened less than two weeks after Tropical Storm Urduja  (Intl. Name: Kai-tak).

Vinta made landfall in Mindanao on December 21st. Vinta was the deadliest cyclone to hit Mindanao since Typhoon Pablo (Intl. Name: Bopha) in 2012. It claimed 257 deaths while Urduja, which hit the  Visayas group of islands, took the lives of 54 people.

3 – The “Dengvaxia” Dengue Vaccination Controversy

 

Dengvaxia was the world's first dengue vaccine and was predicted to be a runaway success for French vaccine maker Sanofi Pasteur. The World Health Organization approved its use in April of 2016, and it has been licensed in more than 12 countries. The Philippines was one of the first four countries to approve its use and was a study site during clinical trials.

The Philippine Department of Health (DOH), however, temporarily suspended a school-based dengue vaccination program Sanofi Pasteur made a statement that its product poses higher risks to people without prior dengue infection.

More than 733,000 children aged 9 and above were vaccinated since April last year. According to Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), some children allegedly died and some of the victims' parents blamed the dengue vaccine for the deaths of their children. The Philippine Government under the Aquino Administration had spent ₱4.5 billion ($70 million) for the vaccines.

  

2 – The Marawi City Siege

 

On May 23, 2017, the Philippine government security forces and militants affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (a.k.a ISIS), including the Maute and Abu Sayyaf Salafi jihadist groups fought at the Islamic City of Marawi in the Lanao del Sur Province.

According to the Philippine government, the clashes began during an offensive in Marawi to capture Isnilon Hapilon, the leader of the Abu Sayyaf group, after receiving reports that Hapilon was in the city, possibly to meet with militants of the Maute group. A deadly firefight erupted when Hapilon's forces opened fire on the combined Army and police teams and called for reinforcements from the Maute group.

The militants took a priest, churchgoers, and some other civilians as hostage. Their main objective was to raise an ISIL flag at the Lanao del Sur Provincial Capitol and declare a provincial ISIL territory in Lanao del Sur.

With heavy urban firefights, finally, on 17 October 2017, the militant leaders Omar Maute and Isnilon Hapilon were neutralized. All seven Maute brothers were also killed by the Philippine Army. Six days after, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced that the battle had finally ended with the decisive government victory.

More than 1,200 people died from the siege: 974 from the terrorists, 165 losses from the government troops; and 87 civilians (40 of whom succumbed to illnesses). The battle was the longest urban battle in the modern history of the Philippines.

Honorable Mentions

• NCCC Mall Fire
• Telstra, 4 firms keen as the 3rd telco
• Isabel Granada succumbs to brain hemorrhage due to aneurysm
• CA rejects the appointment of Gina Lopez and Judith Taguiwalo
• MRT problems
• The Build, Build, Build Program
• Philippine shares end 2017 at record high
• San Miguel Beermen wins PBA Commissioner’s Cup, Fajardo gets 4^th straight MVP award

1 – The Drug War Deaths and Controversies

Since holding the reins of the executive, it’s been clear that President Duterte is hellbent in curbing and clearing the country from illegal drugs. However, a lot of controversies related to the war on drugs sprung up this year:

The figures for the casualties of the drug war vary significantly depending on who tells the figures. According to the Philippine Information Agency,as of December 27th, 86 police and military personnel have lost their lives in anti-drug operations and 226 were wounded. About were 3,967 killed in official police operations and these were legal operations and that all of those who died fought against the police force. The organization, Human Rights Watch estimates the death of up to 13,000. All deaths allegedly included Filipinos who fought against the police and possessed definite amount of drugs and guns, including teenagers.

Some include the deaths of allegedly innocent individuals including the death of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos and that of Carl Arnaiz, 19. Both were  handcuffed and were kneeling – allegedly killed by Caloocan policemen. Arnaiz got killed by police supposedly responding to a distress call by a taxi driver; Delos Santos was slain by cops during a drug raid. They both allegedly shot it out with the arresting officers, but autopsy results released by the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) show they were handcuffed, dragged, and shot. The cases still remain to be solved although the police officers are facing complaints.

Two days ago, another “mishap” took place in Shaw Boulevard ni Mandaluyong where 2 people were fatally killed by the police over 'mistaken identity'.

Despite the multifaceted political noise, President Duterte is still the most approved and the most trusted government official in the Philippines today with 80% Approval rating as of September 2017. According to a nationwide poll released by lobbying firm Publicus Asia on Friday, 82 percent of millennials approve of Duterte. The figure is even higher in Mindanao at 94 percent.

The survey, conducted online from November 5 to 12, polled 1,200 Filipinos aged 19-36 years old and living in urban areas.

The Year 2017 was a year of losses and triumphs for the Philippines. Despite this, we know that the Filipino spirit will prevail. The PoliTikalon Blog wishes you all a prosperous new year.