MikeLigalig.com

Reuters photo


1. Typhoon Yolanda

One of the most powerful storms to make landfall ever, Yolanda cut through central Philippines on November 8 with a ferocity never before felt by typhoon-hardened Filipinos.

Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda’s international name) packed winds of up to 315 kmh, causing storm surges in many coastal towns and cities in the Visayas.

Leyte was the hardest hit, with Tacloban City suffering the most fatalities. Over 5,700 people were confirmed dead, many from the storm surge, with another 2,000 missing. Property damage was pegged at over 2 billion USD.

The government’s initial response faced a slew of criticism as being too slow and disorganized, many coming from international media. Aid efforts however picked up as more roads were cleared of debris; in some areas airdrops were made to get relief goods to survivors.

Countries like the US, Japan, and UK sent in ships and personnel to help the Aquino administration, while others donated money and relief goods. Help and support from around the world, including from NGOs and private businesses and individuals, continue to pour in, as the United Nations launched an appeal for aid in rehabilitating affected communities.

Throughout their ordeal, Filipinos were praised for their resilience and optimism in the face of severe hardship. CNN’s Anderson Cooper, for one, said, “The Filipino people…they're strong not just to survive the storm; but they are strong to have survived the aftermath of the storm.”

Searches for ‘typhoon yolanda’ spiked 4.6 million percent in November; ‘tacloban after yolanda’ (696,000%); ‘storm surge’ (49,500%); ‘anderson cooper’ (55,600%) and; ‘resilience meaning’ (14,000%).

Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=77104.0

NPPA Images


3. 2013 Elections

Some 40 million of the country’s 52.7 million voters turned out for the 2013 midterm elections in May, widely seen as a referendum on President Aquino’s administration.

Twelve of the 24 Senate seats, all 229 Congressional positions including party-list, and all local posts were up for grabs in the Philippines’ second automated polls.

The administration coalition Team PNoy won 9 of the 12 Senate seats, with newcomer Grace Poe winning the most votes (20.1 million). One of the most talked about candidates, the vice president’s daughter Nancy Binay, landed fifth.

The usual problems hounded the elections, including violence and PCOS machine errors.  Providing a bit of relief to the hard issues voters faced were funny memes that made their rounds in social media.

Searches for ‘election results’ surged 808,000% in May; ‘top 12 senators 2013’ (42,100%); ‘nancy binay jokes’ (274,000%) and ‘pcos machines news’ (11,000%).

Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=77104.0

Reuters photo


5. Manny Pacquiao

After falling to Juan Manuel Marquez a year ago, not a few doubted that the “Pambansang Kamao” (National Fist) would ever triumph in the ring again and called for his retirement.

However, Manny Pacquiao is not the first and only eight-division world champion for nothing. Dedicating his fight on November 23 to victims of Typhoon Yolanda, which battered the country two weeks earlier, Manny subdued Brandon Rios and claimed the WBO international welterweight title via unanimous decision.

Pacquiao’s next battle was not on the canvass though. The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued on November 26 a freeze order on the multi-millionaire’s bank deposits and properties in the Philipppines for allegedly failing to pay P2.2 billion in taxes for earnings from Manny’s fights in the US from 2008-2009.

Critics hit at the government, accusing the President of using the BIR to discredit Pacquiao, who is also a congressman and member of the opposition party. BIR chief Kim Henares insists Pacquiao was given more than enough time to comply but didn’t.

Searches for ‘pacquiao vs rios 2013’ rose 692,000% in November; ‘pacquiao vs bir’ (23,300%) and; ‘kim henares biography’ (7,700%).

Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=77104.0

AFP photo


7. Spratlys

No permanent resolution was reached this year in the country’s territorial disputes with other nations, most notably over the Spratly Islands.

The chain of islands. believed to be rich in oil and mineral deposits, is being claimed by the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei.

In early 2013, the Philippines filed a case with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in an attempt to settle the disagreement.

The BRP Ramon Alcaraz, bought from the US Coast Guard, arrived in August to boost maritime defenses. It joined the first Hamilton class cutter, BRP Gregorio del Pilar. The government is planning to buy more ships.

The Aquino administration has said it would buy fighter jets from Korea and Israel to augment the air force.  In November, the Philippine Army disclosed plans to upgrade a naval detachment in Palawan, facing the Spratlys, as part of efforts to modernize the military.

Meanwhile, the country is gearing up for another round of military exercises with the United States, its most important ally, next year.

Searches for ‘ramon alcaraz’ spiked 2,800% in August as did ‘spratlys’ (727%).

Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=77104.0

AFP photo


9. MV Thomas Aquinas Sinking

On August 16, passenger vessel MV Thomas Aquinas of 2GO Shipping was heading to port just outside Cebu City when it collided with MV Sulpicio Express Siete, a cargo ship of Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corporation.

MV Aquinas quickly took on water, forcing the skipper to order the vessel abandoned. The ship sank within 30 minutes. As of September 1, the toll stood at 107 dead and 30 missing.

To make matters worse, oil spilled from the ship and tainted the waters surrounding the collision site, affecting the livelihood of fishermen for months as the government scrambled to clean up the mess.

Searches for ‘mv thomas aquinas sinking’ increased 77,400 in August; ‘2go accident’ (27,100%) and; ‘sulpicio tragedy’ (32,200%).

Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=77104.0

my ten cents' worth: manny pacquiao's defeat was a national tragedy?  oh-oh...  i don't get it.  or is the tragedy his battle with the BIR?  but then, is that a national tragedy? 

Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=77104.0