YOU’VE read the first half of the 2023 highlights, let us now proceed to the second half and turn back the pages.

JULY

• July 25 deadline for SIM registration final – NTC

National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) Deputy Commissioner Jon Paulo Salvahan told state broadcaster PTV that the July 25 deadline for SIM registration would no longer be extended. 

Signed into law in October 2022, the SIM Registration Act or Republic Act 11934 seeks to provide law enforcement agencies with the necessary tools to deter crimes committed using SIM cards. Non-registration would result in the deactivation of SIMs and eSIMs.

• ICC resumes probe into PH’s drug war

The International Criminal Court (ICC) rejected the Philippine government’s appeal to halt a probe into its drug war, which was launched under the administration of then-President Rodrigo Duterte. This allowed the ICC to “resume the investigations” in relation to the situation in the country.

A report by Agence France-Presse stated that the Philippine government warned against foreign interference in the country’s criminal justice system, but the human rights group Karapatan welcomed the ruling.

• Marcos lifts state of public health emergency due to COVID-19

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has lifted the state of public health emergency throughout the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than three years after the health crisis struck. 

Marcos issued Proclamation No. 297 which stated that all of the emergency use authorization (EUA) issued by the Food and Drug Administration pursuant to Executive Order No. 121 will remain valid for one year from the date of lifting the state of public health emergency so that the remaining COVID-19 vaccines that the government has could still be used.  

• Marcos delivers second SONA

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. delivered his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 24 at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City, where he tackled his administration’s accomplishment after one year in office.

The chief executive declared that the “state of the nation is sound and is improving,” citing that the inflation has since slowed down and was “moving in the right direction” after it jumped to a 14-year high of 8.7 percent in January 2023. 

Marcos said that his administration’s top priorities remained to be investments in public infrastructure, food, education, health, jobs, and social protection.

• Maine Mendoza, Arjo Atayde tie the knot

Celebrity couple Maine Mendoza and Arjo Atayde officially tied the knot in an intimate wedding ceremony on July 28, 2023, after four years of dating. 

Reports said that the couple held a Christian wedding at Alphaland Baguio Mountain Lodges in Baguio City. The wedding ceremony was only attended by the couple’s family and very close friends.

AUGUST

• PH observes Ghost Month in August

The Philippines celebrated Ghost Month, a part of the Chinese tradition observed every seventh month of the lunar calendar. In 2023, Ghost Month was observed from August 16 until September 14. 

Restless spirits are said to be given a one-month parole to enjoy themselves and eat. They are believed to bring with them bad luck, which can affect business, health, love, and friendship. But there are ways to ward off bad luck, including wearing “happy colors,” according to Feng Shui expert Master Joy Ang.

• Mike Enriquez passed away

Veteran broadcaster Mike Enriquez has died at the age of 71, GMA Network confirmed. The seasoned newscaster, who began his decades-long career in the broadcast industry in 1969, had been transparent about his health problems. 

In 2018, Enriquez took a leave of absence to undergo a heart bypass procedure. He then received a kidney transplant in December 2021, which necessitated three months of isolation.

• PCG condemns ‘illegal use of water cannons’ vs. PH vessels

The China Coast Guard fired water cannons at Philippine Coast Guard vessels that were en route to Ayungin Shoal for its resupply mission on August 5. 

The PCG said that the incident took place when PCG vessels were escorting “indigenous boats” chartered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to deliver food, water, fuel, and other supplies to military troops stationed on BRP Sierra Madre.

The PCG stressed that it “strongly condemns” China’s actions which “not only disregarded the safety of the PCG crew and the supply boats but also violated international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the 1972 Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS), and the 2016 Arbitral Award.”

• PH celebrates first-ever National Space Week

The Philippines celebrated its first-ever National Space Week from August 8 to 14, 2023. This year’s theme was “#YamangKalawakan tungo sa maunlad na kinabukasan,” said the Philippine Space Agency.

This celebration is in a bid to “promote space awareness, celebrate the significant contributions of Filipinos worldwide in the field of space science, and espouse the value, benefits, and impacts of space science and technology applications on the lives of Filipinos,” according to Proclamation No. 302.

• Students return to school

Millions of students returned to school on August 29 following a nearly two-month break. The Department of Education recorded a total of 22,676,964 students who registered for the school year 2023-2024, as of 2 p.m. on August 28, with Region IV-A having the highest number of enrollees with 3,465,598.

The school year will end on June 14, 2024.

SEPTEMBER

• Ber months kicks off

Christmas songs started playing and shoppers began flocking to malls and shopping centers as soon as Ber months kicked off. The Philippines is known to have the longest Christmas celebration, which begins in September.

The holiday season also gives Filipinos, who are known to have strong family ties, the opportunity to reunite with their loved ones. 

• Nipah virus outbreak in India

A Nipah virus outbreak has spread in India in September. Indian authorities had been taking measures to contain the outbreak of Nipah, which spreads from animals to humans and can cause deadly fever, according to a report by Agence France-Presse.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the first Nipah outbreak was recorded in Malaysia in 1998. There is no vaccine available for the virus at present.

• Marcos certifies as urgent bill seeking severe sanctions on agri economic sabotage

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has certified as urgent a bill seeking to impose stiffer penalties on agricultural economic sabotage, Malacañang said on September 21.

Senate Bill No. 2432 seeks “to promote the productivity of the agriculture sector and to protect farmers and fisherfolk from unscrupulous traders and importers and ensure reasonable and affordable prices of agricultural and fishery products for consumers.”

Violators could face a penalty of life imprisonment and a fine thrice the value of the agricultural and fishery products.

• Smog covers Metro Manila; gov’t says it’s not caused by Taal 

Smog was seen in parts of Metro Manila in September, which resulted in the suspension of classes at all levels.

But the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) clarified that it was not caused by emissions from Taal Volcano. It stressed that the smog “may be primarily attributed to emissions from heavy vehicular traffic, especially during rush hour.” However, Cavite and Batangas were affected by the volcanic smog or vog.

• UAAP season 86 begins

The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) opened Season 86 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on September 30, with the UE Red Warriors defeating the UST Growling Tigers with an 80-70 victory.

This was followed by a game between NU Bulldogs and ADMU Blue Eagles, where the former took down the latter with a 77-64 win.

OCTOBER

• Drag Race Philippines Season 2 winner announced

When Drag Race Philippines was released in August of 2022, thousands of people quickly fell in love with the show, garnering extremely high ratings with each released episode. In the following year, when season 2 was released, people continued to support the queens on the show, hence why fans rejoiced as the winner of the second season, Captivating Katkat, was finally announced on October 4, 2023. 

In the final episode, she was up against Arizona Brandy and M1ss Jade So for the crown, triumphantly being crowned by season 1 winner Precious Paula Nicole to commemorate her victory.

• BSKE elections, enacted in October 2023

Many have been preparing for the BSKE elections for the past year; here, people vote to elect barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials to serve their respective neighborhoods. 

The official elections were held on October 30 with a 76% voter turnout, as found in 160 out of 1, 634 cities and municipalities. It was noted that 3, 614, 800 out of 4, 771, 373 registered voters were at the polls during this day. A number of voting stations were packed with people on the day of, such as the Pres. Sergio Osmeña High School in Tondo, Manila, and the Potrero Elementary School in Malabon City.

• Spanish clergy exposed for sexual abuse of over 20, 000 children

Thousands of people were horrified when an independent commission published a report revealing that over 200, 000 minors had been taken advantage of by the Roman Catholic clergy in Spain. According to this report, sexual abuse within the church has been happening since the 1940s. The report was over 700 pages long.

Of Spain’s adult population of an estimated 39 million people, 0.6% had been sexually abused by members of the clergy as children. This percentage later on to 1.13%, a number that represents over 400, 000 people who have gone through the same experiences, with 487 of those interviewed saying that they have amassed many emotional problems because of this.

As per Angel Gabilondo, Spain’s national ombudsman, these abuses have gravely affected their victims, leaving many unable to put their lives back together, and even driving others to suicide. Victims reported that they knew they would never feel normal again, nor would they ever stop doing therapy or taking medicine as a result of what they have gone through.

• Beloved FRIENDS actor Matthew Perry’s passes away

Released in 1994, the show “Friends” is known and loved by millions. The chemistry between its main characters as well as the hilarity of its shows ensured its success upon airing, with the show becoming one of the most-watched television series of all time and winning a number of awards and nominations, even bagging the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.

Hence why so many were shaken when the news came out that 54-year-old actor, Matthew Perry, was found dead in his home come the end of October. He played Chandler Bing on the show, a sarcastic but lovable goofball who always put his friend and wife Monica first above all else. 

The actor was known to have struggled with drug abuse during the time that he was alive. It is believed that he passed as a result of this when an autopsy of Perry revealed that he had ketamine in his system when he died.

• Gov’t officials discuss banning TikTok in PH

With the popular social media app TikTok being owned by Beijing-based company ByteDance, government officials have shown concern over it being used for espionage. According to National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, there is a possibility that this app is being used to get the data and private details of its users.

As a result of this, the National Security Council has started to discuss prohibiting uniformed personnel from using this app, and a plan to further protect the country’s data is currently in the works.

NOVEMBER

• Michelle Dee finishes at top 10 of Miss Universe 2023

On November 19th, the 72nd run of Miss Universe was held at the Gimnasio Nacional José Adolfo Pineda, which is located in San Salvador of El Salvador. Filipinos from all over the world tuned in to show support for 28-year-old Michelle Marquez Dee, who was representing the Philippines in the competition. 

Ultimately, Dee managed to make it to the Top 10 alongside Puerto Rico, Thailand, Peru, Colombia, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Venezuela, Australia, and Spain. She also won Best in National Costume, wherein she wore an outfit that alludes to her time as an Air Force Reservist and places a spotlight onto the tourism industry of the Philippines.

• Thousands across the globe celebrate International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, celebrated on the 25th of November, was created to commemorate the Mirabel sisters alongside three political activists who were all killed in 1960, using this day to eliminate violence against women one step at a time.

Women’s rights activists have considered November 25 as a day against gender-biased violence since 1981, but this day was officially declared the International Day for Elimination Agaisnt Women in 2000 when voted for by the UN General Assembly. 

This year, thousands of people celebrated the 25th by taking to the streets and marching for women who have suffered due to gender-based violence, bringing attention to the statistics and names of those killed within the year as a result of this. 

• Piston and Manibela both enact 3-day transport strikes

Last November 20, a 3-day strike planned by the Piston transport group began. Due to this transport strike, it took much longer for people in many areas to be able to get to where they needed to go due to there being fewer public utility vehicles (PUVs) in the street. 

This strike was in protest of the upcoming deadline for program consolidation given the current administration’s PUV Modernization Project on December 31.

Following this, transport group Manibela also followed suit in the nationwide transport strike, with theirs lasting from November 22nd up to the 24th.

• Beloved Manila Zoo elephant Mali passes away

Dubbed by many to be ‘The World’s Saddest Elephant,’ the lone elephant was first given as a gift to First Lady Imelda Marcos in 1981, and then was later placed in the Manila Zoo. She had lived there ever since and had been alone for the majority of her stay there. She then passed away last November 29th.

In the past, many animal rights groups have shown concern over Mali’s treatment within the zoo, especially due to her solitary confinement, small enclosure, as well as ignorance over her foot problems.

Mali was the only known elephant held in captivity within Metro Manila and was 49 years old when she passed.

• PH inflation drops to 4.1%

By the end of November, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, inflation in the country had dropped to 4.1%, from the previous 4.9% in October. 

This drop was caused by a decrease in food inflation, going from 7.1% in October to 5.8% in December. There was a deflation in certain food items such as vegetables, and a lower inflation of fish, meat, sugar, bread, cereals, and fruits. 

Non-food inflation also went from 3.4% to 2.9% due to the deflation in transportation and the slower inflation of restaurant and accommodation services.

DECEMBER

• Rizz is announced as word of 2023

The Oxford Word of the Year recognizes any words of expression that have garnered a great amount of attention over the past year, also taking in mind whether or not this word will have lasting potential to be culturally significant. 

For this year in particular, the word ‘rizz’ was chosen after it garnered over 32, 000 votes and was looked over by a team of language experts over at the Oxford University Press (OUP.) The word is used to refer to one’s style, charm, attractiveness, or ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner.

As per the OUP, the use of this word shows how the internet can be used to put into the mainstream any language originally seen as fringe, representing linguistic evolution and expansion in the modern day.

• Marcos announces no extension of PUV consolidation deadline

Despite clamors from numerous transport groups to extend the deadline for PUV consolidation, President Ferdinand Marcos does not have any plans to do so. 

The deadline for PUV consolidation has been set for December 31, with Marcos saying that the deadline would no longer be extended, seeing as 70% of all operators had already consolidated to the given program. 

He added that he would not allow the minority to cause any further delays, and discussed the many benefits a modernized public transport system would have on the country. A total of 262, 653 transport operators, drivers, and workers have since consolidated into entities as per the LTFRB.

Transport group Piston, however, claims that the given figures are rather misleading, and that in reality, jeepney consolidation within the NCR is only at around 26%.

As a result of Marcos’s decision, it is possible that over 68, 000 PUVs will lose their franchises by the end of the year.

• Piston, Manibela enact two-day transport strike 

Due to Marcos deciding not to extend the deadline for PUV modernization, many members under Piston put together a two-day transport strike in protest of this decision. 

The strike was conducted on December 21 and 22, labeled as Piston and Manibela’s “joint tigil-pasada,” raising awareness for the thousands of jeepney and UV Express workers who may lose their jobs as a result of the modernization program. 

This is following the filing of a petition for certiorari and prohibition against the given deadline, which is a special civil action that declares a law or act to be unconstitutional, aiming to nullify it and prohibit the government from enforcing it. 

• Walking pneumonia detected in PH

In November, an illness called ‘walking pneumonia’ started to spread in different countries in Asia. The disease is commonly characterized by the following symptoms: cough, fever, chest pains, mild chills, and headaches. 

On the 25th, a total of four cases of the disease were found in the Philippines, which the Department of Health (DOH) says is representative of only 0.08% of the confirmed influenza-like illness cases that were found in that given time.

The DOH reassures the public that the disease is not new, nor is it unusual, and can easily prevented by washing your hands, wearing masks, and regularly updating your vaccinations.

• Beloved couple KathNiel breaks up

Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla confirmed in their respective Instagram post that they had broken up after weeks of being the subject of split rumors. The former couple ended their relationship after 11 years of dating. 

According to Kathryn, she and Daniel had been “drifting apart for a while now, and we ultimately had to accept that we can’t go back to where we used to be.” Nonetheless, she thanked his former boyfriend for the over-a-decade journey they shared.

Daniel also thanked his former girlfriend for “dancing with me during my highs and thank you for singing with me during my lows.” He stressed, “Our lives may drift away, but our love will still ride that tide.”