January •
January 8 –
Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines (HHIC Phil) files for corporate rehabilitation after declaring bankruptcy. It is the biggest bankruptcy in the Philippines surpassing the more than $386 million financial losses in the country related to the
Lehman Brothers bankruptcy of 2008. HHIC defaulted its $412 million loan credited to five local banking firms. •
January 10: • President Duterte signs Republic Act. No. 11188, providing special protection of children in armed conflict. • Maia Santos Deguito, the former bank manager of
Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) is convicted of money laundering in connection with the
$81-million cyber heist on Bangladesh's central bank in 2016. •
January 21 – A
plebiscite takes place with the majority of voters ratifying the
Bangsamoro Organic Law creating the
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and abolishing the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Cotabato City also votes to join the new autonomous region while in
Isabela City in
Basilan rejects its inclusion to the region. •
January 24 – The
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) places
tawilis on the list of endangered species. •
January 27: • At least 20 people are killed while 111 people are injured after
explosions rock the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in
Jolo, Sulu. •
January 28 – Lawmakers propose to lower the
age of criminal responsibility, sparking outrage.
February •
February 6 – The second round of the
Bangamoro Organic Law plebiscite is held with voters in 67 barangays in
Cotabato and six towns in
Lanao del Norte deciding if they are in favor of their localities joining the proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The 63 barangays in Cotabato vote to join the new region while the six municipalities in Lanao del Norte, despite approving the motion, fail to join after the rest of the province rejects their inclusion to the region. •
February 13 –
Rappler CEO
Maria Ressa is arrested by the
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for
cyber libel upon orders from Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46. She posts bail the next day. Ressa claims that her right to due process was violated, since she was not informed of the complaint against her. She also describes her arrest as an "abuse of power" and "weaponization of the law". Presidential Spokesperson
Salvador Panelo denies that the government was trying to silence press freedom. However, the libel complaint had been filed by businessman Wilfredo Keng regarding a Rappler article published in May 2012 (updated in February 2014) where Keng was alleged to have lent a vehicle to Chief Justice
Renato Corona, who was undergoing an impeachment trial at the time. The article also links Keng to human trafficking and drug smuggling. •
February 14 – President Duterte signs Republic Act No. 11201, creating the
Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development. •
February 22 – President Duterte signs the
Tulong-Trabaho Act (Republic Act 11230), mandating free access to
technical-vocational education. •
February 26 – The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao formally established and the
Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) is constituted.
March • Since
March 6 – Numerous areas across
Metro Manila, estimated to be 52,000 households by
Manila Water,
experience water scarcity. Manila Water COO Geodino Carpio cites the delay of water infrastructure projects, such as the constructions of a
wastewater treatment plant in
Cardona, Rizal and the
Kaliwa Dam in
Tanay, Rizal, for the issue. Manila Water also noted the critically low levels of the
La Mesa Dam, its lowest level in 12 years, which the company relies on as their emergency supply of water source. •
March 10 –
Murder of Christine Silawan in
Lapu-Lapu City,
Cebu. •
March 15 – Former Ombudsman
Conchita Carpio-Morales and former Secretary of Foreign Affairs
Albert del Rosario file a case in the
International Criminal Court (ICC) against Chinese President
Xi Jinping and other Chinese government officials for alleged
crimes against humanity. The complaint cited environmental damage in the
South China Sea due to land reclamation, occupation of islands, and destructive fishing activities conducted by China. The communication was delivered to the ICC two days before the Philippines' ICC withdrawal became effective. •
March 17 – The Philippines formally withdraws from the
International Criminal Court after the country's withdrawal notification was received by the
Secretary-General of the United Nations in 2017. The court earlier launched a preliminary investigation whether it has jurisdiction to tackle on allegations of state-sanctioned human rights violations in the Philippine drug war. •
March 21 – President Duterte officially declares the permanent termination of peace negotiations with the
CPP-
NPA-
NDF. •
March 29 – Rappler CEO and journalist Maria Ressa is arrested for allegedly violating the Anti-Dummy Law, which prohibits foreigners from intervening in the management and operation of a Filipino media company. She was released the same day after posting bail. The charge is based on Rappler's issuance of Philippine
Depositary receipts (PDRs) to the American company
Omidyar Network in 2015. Ressa describes her arrest as an attack on press freedom, accusing the Philippine government of being "intolerant of journalists", which Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo denies. •
March 30 – Fourteen people are killed during police operations across
Negros Oriental. Human rights and farmer groups condemn the incident, saying that the victims are merely farmers and trishaw drivers.
April •
April 3 – A
series of videos is uploaded by an account named "
Ang Totoong Narcolist" on YouTube, accusing the Duterte family, as well as former Special Assistant to the President (SAP)
Bong Go, of involving in the illegal drug trade. Rodel Jayme is arrested on April 30 by the NBI for sharing the videos. •
April 5 – Republic Act 11259 is signed into law, approving the proposed division of the province of
Palawan into three provinces: Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental and Palawan del Sur to be approved in a plebiscite. •
April 10 – Fossil fragments found in
Callao Cave in
Cagayan reveal the existence of the "
Homo luzonensis" species of humans. The species is named after the island where it was discovered,
Luzon. •
April 12 – President Duterte signs the
Magna Carta of the Poor (Republic Act 11291), which aims to uplift the standard of living of poor Filipinos. •
April 17: • President Duterte signs into law the
Safe Spaces Act (Republic Act 11313), punishing gender-based
sexual harassment such as
wolf-whistling and
catcalling in public spaces. • President Duterte signs the
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Act, institutionalizing the 4Ps cash transfer program and seeking to reduce poverty by providing "
conditional cash transfer to poor households for a maximum period of seven years. •
April 22: • A 6.1-
magnitude earthquake hits large parts of
Luzon, killing at least 16 people and injuring 81 others. • The "Oust-Duterte" matrix, containing supposed destabilization efforts by media organizations and journalists against Duterte, is revealed to the public. •
April 23 – A 6.5-
magnitude earthquake hits
Eastern Visayas with its epicenter at
San Julian, Eastern Samar less than 24 hours after the Luzon earthquake.
May •
May 6 – Peter Joemel Advincula, the man claimed to be "Bikoy" in the "Ang Totoong Narcolist" videos, reveals himself to the public and asks for legal assistance. Advincula denies links to any political movement. On May 23, Advincula surrenders to the
Camp Crame, where he retracts his initial statement and claims that the videos were "orchestrated" by the Liberal Party and Senator
Antonio Trillanes IV. He also claims that he was promised to receive for his participation. •
May 13 – The
Philippine general elections are held. Voters
elect new members of the
House of Representatives as well as
12 members of the
Senate. •
May 21 – Former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales is denied entry to Hong Kong due to her "security threat". Though Hong Kong does not explain why, Malacañang states that it is in retaliation by China against Carpio-Morales for filing a criminal case in the ICC against Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials over China's land reclamation in the
disputed South China Sea. •
May 22 –
Commission on Elections (COMELEC), sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), proclaims 12 winning senators in the midterm elections. It also proclaims 51 winning party-list members as well.
June •
June 8 – Religious corporation
Kapa-Community Ministry International is shut down by authorities under President Duterte's orders over the allegations of its running of a
Ponzi scheme. •
June 9 – The fishing boat F/B Gem-Ver
sinks at Reed Bank after being rammed by a Chinese vessel. •
June 10 – Dr. Brian Sy, owner of the WellMed Dialysis Center in Quezon City who is accused of making "ghost" claims with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is arrested by the
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for the charges of estafa, falsification of public documents, and violation of the PhilHealth law. •
June 17 – The Manila Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 14 convicts John Paul Solano, a member of the Aegis Juris Fraternity, of obstruction of justice in connection with the Atio Castillo hazing case. •
June 21 – Former
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario is denied entry to Hong Kong despite carrying a valid diplomatic passport. •
June 27 – Several opposition groups began filing
impeachment complaints against Rodrigo Duterte due to the
Reed Bank incident and his subsequent policy of "allowing China to fish in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea". •
June 29 – Tons of Canadian garbage left in the Philippines in 2013 and 2014 arrive in a port outside
Vancouver, ending a
diplomatic row highlighting garbage dumping by other countries on Asian nations.
July •
July 8 – President Duterte awards a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) and permit to operate to DITO Telecommunity, a consortium of Davao City-based businessman Dennis Uy. •
July 11 – A resolution initiated by Iceland is adopted by the
United Nations Human Rights Council calling for an investigation on the human rights situation in the Philippines including deaths linked to President Duterte's campaign against drugs. •
July 13 – Father Gerard Francisco Timoner III from
Daet, Camarines Norte is elected the
Master of the Order of Preachers, the head of the
Dominican Order, for a nine-year term. Timoner is the first Filipino, as well as the first Asian, to be elected as such. • Since July 18 –
A series of killings occur in Negros Oriental after four police officers are killed by suspected communist groups. •
July 18 – The Philippine National Police (PNP) files a sedition complaint against Vice President Leni Robredo, several senators and opposition personalities in connection with the Bikoy videos. •
July 26 – President Duterte orders a halt in all gaming operations with franchises, licenses or permits granted by the
Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), citing corruption. On July 27, the PNP begins shutting down lotto kiosks and other gaming outlets nationwide. On July 30, President Rodrigo Duterte lifts the suspension of operations of lotto game. On August 22, Duterte lifts the suspension on the operations of Small Town Lottery (STL) in the country. On September 28, Duterte lifts the suspension on the operations of Keno Game and Instant Sweepstakes Scratch-It schemes. •
July 27 – A magnitude
5.9 earthquake strikes
Batanes. It is preceded by a 5.4 magnitude
foreshock. Nine people are killed by the two earthquakes. A state of calamity was declared in the whole province.
August where both
Antonio Sanchez and the suspects of
Chiong sisters murders are incarcerated •
August 2 – PresidentDuterte signs Proclamation No. 781 conferring the
National Scientist title to plant geneticist, agronomist and former
University of the Philippines president
Emil Javier. •
August 3 – At least 31 are killed after strong winds capsize three boats in the
Guimaras Strait. •
August 5: • COMELEC cancels the nomination of former
National Youth Commission Chairperson Ronald Cardema as representative of the Duterte Youth party-list due to misrepresentation. On September 13, Cardema formally withdraws his bid as the party-list's first nominee. • The
Sandiganbayan dismisses a billion civil case filed by the
Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) in 1987 against the family of former President
Ferdinand Marcos and their cronies, on the involvement of former Ambassador
Roberto Benedicto in the allegations of using dummies and government corporations to obtain assets. •
August 8 – President Duterte signs the Philippine Space Act (Republic Act No. 11363) creating the
Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA). •
August 20 – News reports state that former
Calauan, Laguna Mayor
Antonio Sanchez, the mastermind in the
rape and murder of Eileen Sarmenta and Allan Gomez in 1993, "could have walked free in the next two months" after spending 25 years in prison, citing "
good conduct" according to the document bearing the signature of
Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director-General
Nicanor Faeldon. The impending release of Sanchez sparked nationwide outrage and condemnation. However, on August 22,
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra and Faeldon announce that Sanchez is not eligible under a 2013 law (RA No. 10592), that credits good conduct time allowance (GCTA) for an early release from prison. On August 26, President Duterte orders Guevarra and Faeldon not to release Sanchez due to his bad behavior. On September 2, the
Senate Blue Ribbon Committee begins its investigation on the supposed early release of Sanchez and the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law. On same day, Faeldon confirms that George Medialdea, Rogelio Corcolon and Zoilo Ama, who were also convicted for the murders had died in jail. •
August 22 – Former foreign affairs secretary
Perfecto Yasay Jr. is arrested by Manila Police District (MPD) officers in relation to criminal charges allegedly committed by officials of
Banco Filipino.
September •
September 1 – An 11-seater
Beechcraft King Air 350 aircraft on a medevac mission from
Dipolog Airport,
Zamboanga del Norte to
Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila
crashes in
Pansol, Calamba,
Laguna, killing all nine people on board and injuring two on the ground. •
September 2 – Bureau of Corrections Director General Nicanor Faeldon confirms the release of four persons convicted for the
July 1997 murder of the Chiong sisters in Cebu. On September 6, two of the convicts, Ariel Balansag and Alberto Caño, surrender to authorities. followed on September 18 by the remaining two convicts, James Anthony Uy and Josman Aznar. •
September 3 – The Supreme Court dismisses the petition of attorney Jess Falcis for the removal of a legal barrier to same-sex marriages in the Philippines, but recognizes that the Constitution does not restrict marriage on the basis of sex. •
September 4 – President Duterte fires Bureau of Corrections chief Faeldon over the release of several heinous crime convicts in the Sarmienta-Gomez and Chiong murder cases. On September 5, Yolanda Camelon, wife of an inmate in the
New Bilibid Prison, testifies in the third Senate hearing on the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law and claims that Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) employees asked from her in a botched deal to buy her husband's early release from prison. On September 9, Ombudsman
Samuel Martires orders the suspension for six months without pay of 30 officials of the Bureau of Corrections in connection with the release of over 1,900 convicts of heinous crimes under the Good Conduct Time Allowance law. •
September 7 –
Santo Tomas becomes a component city in the province of
Batangas through ratification of
Republic Act 11086. •
September 9 – The first case of
African swine fever is confirmed by the
Department of Agriculture. It is also confirmed that an undisclosed number of pigs were culled in
Rizal to contain a "suspected animal disease". •
September 18 – The Manila Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 15 convicts eight
Philippine Coast Guard personnel of homicide for the
killing of a Taiwanese fisherman off Batanes in May 2013, which sparked a diplomatic row between
Taipei and Manila. •
September 20 – The
Philippine Military Academy (PMA) confirms that Cadet 4th Class
Darwin Dormitorio died of injuries resulting from hazing rites, supposedly at the hands of three upperclassmen inside the school on September 18. •
September 24: • Voting 17–0, the Senate authorizes the Blue Ribbon and justice committees to release the names of the rogue cops involved in the so-called "Agaw-bato" scheme, in which cops allegedly sell illegal drugs seized in narcotics operations. • Lieutenant General Ronnie Evangelista and Brigadier General Bartolome Bacarro resign from their posts in the PMA following the
hazing death ofDarwin Dormitorio. On October 9, Cadet 1st Class Ram Michael Navarro also resigns from his post in the PMA. •
September 25 – The Sandiganbayan dismisses another civil case filed by the Presidential Commission on Good Government against former president Ferdinand Marcos, Imelda Marcos, and five alleged cronies including former ambassador Bienvenido Tantoco Sr., regarding the
₱1.05 billion
ill-gotten wealth, due to insufficient evidence; the decision is publicized the following month. In July 2023, the Supreme Court publishes a decision, promulgated in March, affirming the decision. •
September 27 – The
US Senate Appropriations Committee approves an amendment to deny entry to any Philippine official involved in the two-year detention of Senator
Leila de Lima.
October •
October 1 – PNP chief Gen.
Oscar Albayalde appears before the Senate's inquiry on "
ninja cops", the police officers involved in the illegal drug trade. Albayalde denies allegations of protecting his former subordinates who are accused of misappropriating a large quantity of illegal drugs seized in a raid in 2013. Albayalde resigns on October 14 because of the controversy. On October 21, the
PNP–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) adds Albayalde as a respondent in criminal charges being reinvestigated by the DOJ. •
October 2 – A fire at the
Star City amusement park in
Pasay,
Metro Manila, occurs at midnight. •
October 4 – BuCor chief Gerald Bantag orders the dismissal of some 300 guards at the maximum security compound of the New Bilibid Prison in
Muntinlupa. •
October 6 – Usage of the landline numbers with an additional digit from 7 digits is officially implemented, upon the order of the
National Telecommunications Commission (NTC). •
October 8 – The Supreme Court upholds the validity of a legal provision setting the minimum base pay for nurses in government health institutions to Salary Grade 15, but says that implementing the clause requires a law providing funds for it. •
October 11 – The Supreme Court allows Filipina death row inmate
Mary Jane Veloso to testify against her alleged recruiters through deposition in
Indonesia. •
October 14 – The Sandiganbayan dismisses another civil case filed by the Presidential Commission on Good Government against the family of former President Ferdinand Marcos and their cronies, on the involvement of Fe and Ignacio Gimenez and others on the family's hidden wealth; the decision is made public on October 25. •
October 15 – The Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, orders the release of the official report on the initial vote recount involved in the election protest of Bongbong Marcos against Vice President Leni Robredo. •
October 16 – The
2019 Cotabato earthquakes begin with a 6.3 magnitude earthquake that kills five people and injures 53 others. Another earthquake on October 29 with a magnitude of 6.6 kills at least nine people and injures 200. A third one on October 31, a magnitude 6.5, not considered to be an aftershock of the second event, kills six people and injures 20 others. The epicenters of these earthquakes are located near
Tulunan, Cotabato. •
October 18 – The
Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, chaired by
Richard J. Gordon, recommends the filing of criminal charges against former PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde and 13 police officers who were involved in an irregular drug operation in
Pampanga in 2013. •
October 31 –
Cebu City is selected to be part of the
UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
November •
November 5 – President Duterte designates Vice President Robredo as co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD). • November 6 – The DOJ grants refugee status to Iranian beauty queen Bahareh Zare Bahari, who had sought asylum in the Philippines for fear of death or detention in her home country. •
November 8: • The Supreme Court extends the deadline for the ruling on the cases against
Andal Ampatuan Jr. and nearly 200 others tagged in the
Maguindanao massacre in 2009. • President Duterte abolishes the
Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) and transfers the river's rehabilitation to the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). •
November 11 – Six soldiers are killed while 20 others are injuredin a firefight against the
New People's Army in Sitio Bangon, Brgy. Pinanag-an,
Borongan,
Eastern Samar. •
November 15 – The Sandiganbayan finds former
Isabela governor
Grace Padaca guilty of malversation of public funds and graft in connection with the granting of P25 million to a private entity for the province's rice program.
December •
December 2 –
Typhoon Kammuri (Tisoy) hits
Southern Luzon,
Bicol Region and the
Visayas, leaving massive damage to agriculture estimated at
₱3.67-billion, and killing 17 people. •
December 7 – A majority of residents in
Compostela Valley approve changing the name of their province to
Davao de Oro in a plebiscite. •
December 8 –
Pope Francis names Manila Archbishop Cardinal
Luis Antonio Tagle as the new prefect of the
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, which is regarded as the second most important position in the Vatican. •
December 15 – A
magnitude 6.9 earthquake hits
Matanao, Davao del Sur killing seven people and injuring 100 others. It is the 5th earthquake to hit Mindanao in the span of 3 months. •
December 16 – The Sandiganbayan, for the fourth time, dismisses a forfeiture case filed by the government against the
Marcos family in relation to ₱200 billion (
US$3.9 billion) of alleged ill-gotten wealth, citing lack of evidence. The decision is affirmed in July 2022, with clarifications that the family recovered only four properties, and most of the wealth had been recovered. •
December 19 –
Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 221 Judge
Jocelyn Solis-Reyes serves her judgment on the Maguindanao massacre case at a special court session held at
Camp Bagong Diwa in
Taguig. In the verdict, the Ampatuan brothers, Andal Jr. and
Zaldy, and 28 co-accused are convicted of 57 counts of murder and sentenced to
reclusion perpetua (40 years) without parole; 15 are sentenced to 6–10 years for being accessories to the crime; while 55 others are acquitted, including one of the main suspects, incumbent mayor of
Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan. •
December 24 –
Typhoon Phanfone (Ursula) hits Southern Luzon and the Visayas, including areas hit earlier by Typhoon Kammuri, leaving damages worth at least a billion peso, and killing 50 people. •
December 31 – After 43 years, the
Harrison Plaza, regarded as the first modern shopping mall in
Manila, ceases operations. ==Holidays==