2015 Philippine Newsmakers

Another year has passed and it wouldn’t be complete without summarizing all the biggest events that happened in the Philippines. Here is a list of some of the news that made it to the front page, created waves in social media, and impacted the world.

1. Papal Visit

PAPAL VISIT. Pope waves at the crowd in Tacloban. Photo by rappler.com

From January 15-19, Pope Francis went to the Philippines for an Apostolic and state visit. His Holiness also paid a visit to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban and Leyte, and celebrated mass in Manila. The 5-day event became the largest papal event to date, with the Pope’s concluding mass drawing around 6-7 million attendees.

2. Mamasapano Clash

FALLEN 44. Members of SAF carry the coffins of their comrades upon arrival. Photo by inquirer.net

A few days after the papal visit, another big news headlined the country as a police operation, which took place on January 25, led to the death of 44 members of the Special Action Force (SAF) group of the Philippine National Police (PNP). The operation was intended to capture high-ranking terrorists in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. The event was said to have been the biggest loss in government force history.

3. Mary Jane Veloso

SAVE MARY JANE. Veloso was arrested in Indonesia due to alleged drug smuggling. Photo by Reuters

On April 29, Mary Jane Veloso was spared from execution by Indonesian firing squad after she allegedly smuggled heroin in Indonesia. The execution was suspended as a complaint was filed in the Philippines, with her recruiter surrendering to the authorities. Veloso was asked to testify as a witness to prosecuting drug syndicates.

4. Pacquiao vs. Mayweather

FIGHT OF THE CENTURY. Mayweather beats Pacquiao during the World Welterweight Championship in Las Vegas. Photo by Reuters

The highly-anticipated boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather became a hot topic worldwide after Mayweather beat Pacman via unanimous decision. The fight dubbed as the ‘Fight of the Century’ let Mayweather continue his undefeated boxing career streak. The match was said to be the most lucrative fight ever.

5. El Gamma Penumbra

EL GAMMA GOT TALENT. Philippines’ El Gamma Penumbra wins as the first grand winner of Asia’s Got Talent. Photo by Philstar.com

Yet another Filipino group made waves in the international scene, as El Gamma Penumbra became the first grand winner of Asia’s Got Talent. El Gamma Penumbra was just one of the four Filipino finalists in the said talent show. They showcased their unique talent of silhouette imagery creating meaningful stories. The group won US $100,000 and an opportunity to perform at the world-renowned Marina Bay Sands.

6. Iglesia Ni Cristo Controversy

CHURCH DIVISION. INC expelled Ka Angel and Tenny Manalo from the church due to allegedly causing church division. Photo by David Romero

The third largest religious denomination in the Philippines, Iglesia ni Cristo, expelled some of its high profile ministers for allegedly ‘sowing disunity’ in the church. Angel and Tenny Manalo, members of the family which founded the church, claimed to have their lives threatened in a video uploaded on July 2015 stating that there has been a mass kidnapping going on prompting the whole controversy.

7. ALDUB Phenomenon

ALDUB FEVER. Maine “Yaya Dub” Mendoza and Alden Richards pose as they meet formally for the first time in the ‘Tamang Panahon’ event. Photo by EB Social Media

Phenomenal love team AlDub (Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza) dominated worldwide trends with over 40 million tweets ever since they became accidental on screen partners in the noontime show Eat Bulaga. The love team topped national TV Ratings and has tapped the curiosity of international news agency for its record breaking attempts in social media.

8. APEC Philippines 2015

APEC 2015. World economic leaders pose for a photo at the Manila summit. Photo by AP/Susan Walsh

On November 18-19, the 23^rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting was held in Pasay which was attended by various business leaders from the world. The meeting’s agenda was about the growth of the Asia-Pacific region in national, regional, and macro levels. The hashtag #APEChottie also trended in social media after photos of leaders Justin Trudeau and Enrique Nieto circulated online.

9. Tanim Bala Controversy

TANIM BALA. Travellers are having their luggages wrapped in plastic to avoid the bullet planting scheme. Photo from inquirer.net

In late October 2015, a recent airport incident broke the internet when an alleged bullet planting scheme transpired at NAIA when a 56-year old woman was caught allegedly carrying a bullet on her way to Hong Kong. Netizens reacted on social media regarding this issue, complaining about NAIA’s poor security measures and handling of issue. This incident has prompted many locals to fear for their security at the airport, as many incidents with the same scheme followed after.

10. Pia Wurtzbach

CROWNING GLORY. Pia Wurtzbach wins as Miss Universe 2015. Photo from ibtimes.co.uk

After 40 years, the whole nation celebrated on December 21 as the Philippines brought home the crown for Miss Universe 2015. Pia Wurtzbach was crowned Miss Universe following Margie Moran in 1973. The pageant trended as a wrong announcement was made by the host on who won the title. Wurtzbach is the third Filipina to have won the said event.

Article by Philippine Primer Staff

SOURCES:

Inquirer.net/PopeinPH
http://www.rappler.com/nation/82827-timeline-mamasapano-clash
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/108793/janet-napoles-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-over-illegal-detention-charges
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/478106/news/nation/mary-jane-veloso-spared-from-execution
http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2015/07/23/Iglesia-ni-Cristo-expels-Manalo-siblings-mother.html1
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/480754/sports/boxing/floyd-mayweather-defeats-manny-pacquiao-by-decision
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34645078
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/11/19/1523672/full-text-pnoy-opens-retreat-23rd-apec-leaders-meeting
http://cnnphilippines.com/lifestyle/2015/12/21/miss-universe-2015-pia-wurtzbach.html
http://www.rappler.com/technology/social-media/110965-laglag-bala-naia-netizens-reaction
http://cnnphilippines.com/entertainment/2015/05/15/El-Gamma-Penumbra-wins-Asias-Got-Talent-thanks-Filipinos.html