2021 in the Philippines details events of note that have occurred in the Philippines in 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic, which largely defined 2020, continued into 2021.
Incumbents
President: Rodrigo Duterte (PDP–Laban) Vice President: Leni Robredo (Liberal) Congress (18th): Senate President: Tito Sotto (NPC) House Speaker: Lord Allan Velasco (PDP–Laban) Chief Justice: Diosdado Peralta (until March 27) Estela Perlas-Bernabe (acting), (March 27 – April 5) Alexander Gesmundo (from April 5)
Ongoing events COVID-19 pandemic Pharmally scandal (from July) 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines, which includes the 500th anniversaries of the introduction of Christianity in the Philippines, the Philippines' part in Magellan's circumnavigation of the world, and the victory of Lapulapu's forces in the Battle of Mactan.
Events
January January 4 – President Duterte signs Republic Act No. 11510, institutionalizing the alternative learning system (ALS). January 18 – The Department of National Defense announces its unilateral termination of its 1989 accord with the University of the Philippines which took effect three days earlier over claims that the New People's Army is recruiting members in the universities' campuses. The agreement limited the entry of police and military of the national government in the University of the Philippines' campuses.
February February 5 – Businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, former Cagayan de Oro representative Constantino Jaraula, and three others are convicted by the Sandiganbayan of graft and malversation of public funds, in relation to the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam. February 7: – 2021 Davao Del Sur earthquake: A 6.0 earthquake strikes Mindanao, injuring 14 and causing damage. February 16: The Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, unanimously dismisses the electoral protest of defeated vice presidential candidate and former senator Bongbong Marcos against Vice President Leni Robredo. President Duterte grants amnesty to members of the Moro National Liberation Front, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade who have committed crimes in pursuit of their political beliefs, and who would agree to surrender their weapons. February 17 – Senator Leila de Lima is acquitted, due to insufficient evidence, in one of the three drug cases filed against her. February 26 – President Duterte signs Republic Act No. 11524, creating a trust fund for the country's coconut farmers. February 28 – The Philippines receives its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines, with the arrival of 600,000 doses of China-based drugmaker Sinovac Biotech vaccine CoronaVac.
March March 1 – The Department of Health and National Task Force Against COVID-19 start its vaccination campaign with 600,000 doses of donated COVID-19 vaccines from Sinovac. Philippine General Hospital director Gerardo Legaspi becomes the first person in the country to be legally inoculated with CoronaVac. March 13 – Residents of Palawan, except Puerto Princesa, vote in a plebiscite to disapprove a law that would divide Palawan into three separate provinces. March 21 – The Philippines files its first formal diplomatic protest with regard to the presence of about 220 Chinese fishing boats moored at Whitsun Reef in the Spratly Islands as early as March 7. The incident at Whitsun Reef caused diplomatic tensions between China and the Philippines with the latter suspecting the ships to be part of a militia and that China plans to use the ship to secure control over the disputed reef. March 27 – President Duterte approves the IATF's recommendation to place the Greater Manila Area under enhanced community quarantine from March 29 to April 4, later it was extended until April 11.
April April 30 – PhiSys becomes available for online registration. The Philippine Statistics Authority receives more than 40,000 registration requests on the first minutes of the pilot launch.
May May 8 – The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters occupy the public market of Datu Paglas, Maguindanao. May 11 – President Duterte places the Philippines under a state of calamity for a period of one year due to the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak. May 14 – The government's Anti-Terrorism Council publicly releases separate resolutions formally declaring Communist Party of the Philippines founder Joma Sison and 18 other alleged communist leaders, as well as 10 leaders of Islamic extremist groups, as terrorists. May 25 – St Joseph College of Bulacan closes. May 27: Republic Act 11550 is signed into law, approving the province of Maguindanao to be split into two provinces: Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur pending approval in a plebiscite. President Duterte signs Republic Act No. 11521, extending the electricity lifeline rates for the poor for a period of 50 years.
June June 21 – The Sandiganbayan convicts six retired officers of the Philippine National Police, including former chief Jesus Verzosa, of graft in connection with the procurement of at least ₱131-million worth of rubber boats and outboard motors in 2009. The decision is affirmed in 2022.
July July 4 – A Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) crashes in Patikul, Sulu, killing 53 people. The incident is the deadliest aviation accident involving the Armed Forces of the Philippines.According to Aviation Safety Network database (Link ), the said aviation accident is currently the 4th worst, with death toll surpassing those from a plane crash occurred in Benguet in 1987, but fewer than those from plane crashes in Clark Air Base (1964), Misamis Oriental (1998), and Davao del Norte (2000). (See the details of July 2021 accident. Retrieved August 13, 2021.) July 19 – The Anti-Terrorism Council publicizes a June 23 resolution formally designating the National Democratic Front as a terrorist organization.Citations:
July 30 – President Duterte revokes his order to terminate the Philippines' Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States. The termination process was initiated in February 2020 by notifying the United States. The termination was to take effect after six months but was pushed back multiple times.
August August 16 – A daylong encounter between soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and members of the New People's Army in Dolores, Eastern Samar results in the deaths of at least 19 rebels.
October October 3 – The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and assorted media partners publish a set of 11.9 million documents leaked from 14 financial services companies known as the Pandora Papers, revealing offshore financial activities which listed several current and former Philippine officials and personalities that included Secretary of Transportation Arthur Tugade and former COMELEC chairman Andres Bautista. October 8 – Journalist Maria Ressa, the founder and chief executive officer of the online news website Rappler, is awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, along with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, "for their efforts to safeguard the freedom of expression" with regards to freedom of the press. Ressa is the first individual Filipino Nobel Prize laureate and the first Filipino Nobel Peace Prize laureate. October 12 – The Antipolo Regional Trial Court convicts three members of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement for the 1986 killing of labor leader Rolando Olalia and unionist Leonor Alay-ay.
December December 10 – President Duterte signs Republic Act 11596 into law, criminalizing child marriage in the Philippines. December 16–18 – Typhoon Rai (Odette) makes landfall in the southern Philippines causing at least 407 deaths and worth of damage to infrastructure and agriculture.Death count as of January 1, 2022. –Bolledo, Jairo (January 1, 2022). "Deaths due to Typhoon Odette now at 407" . Rappler. Retrieved January 25, 2022. –Nepomuceno, Priam (January 3, 2022). "'Odette' death toll climbs to 407: NDRRMC" . Philippine News Agency. Retrieved January 25, 2022.Cost of damages as of January 21, 2022. –Andrade, Jeannette (January 21, 2022). "'Odette' damage reaches P33B" . INQUIRER.net. Retrieved January 25, 2022. Pres. Duterte declares a state of calamity in six regions on December 21 as a response to the typhoon's impact. December 31 – Republic Act 11641 is signed into law which creates the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). The department reorganizes Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, the Department of Labor and Employment's International Labor Affairs Bureau and all Overseas Labor Offices, the National Reintegration Center for OFWs, and the National Maritime Polytechnic.
Holidays
On July 31, 2020, the government announced at least 18 Philippine holidays for 2021 as declared by virtue of Proclamation No. 986, series of 2020. On February 26, 2021, in an effort to stimulate economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Duterte signed Proclamation No. 1107 reducing the number of special non-working holidays and declaring November 2, December 24, and December 31 as "special working days" instead.
Regular January 1 – New Year's Day April 1 – Maundy Thursday April 2 – Good Friday April 9 – Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) May 13 – Eid'l Fitr (Feast of Ramadan) June 12 – Independence Day July 20 – Eid'l Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) August 30 – National Heroes Day November 30 – Bonifacio Day December 25 – Christmas Day December 30 – Rizal Day
Special (Non-working) February 12 – Chinese New Year February 25 – 1986 EDSA Revolution April 3 – Black Saturday May 1 – Labor Day August 21 – Ninoy Aquino Day November 1 – All Saints Day November 2 – Special working holiday December 8 – Feast of the Immaculate Conception December 24 – Special working holiday December 31 – Special working holiday (in observance of New Year's Eve celebrations)
Business and economy January 7 – The Security and Exchange Commission announces that it allows Investree to commence commercial operations. The firm becomes the first crowdfunding portal to be allowed to operate from the Philippines. January 28 – The Philippine Statistics Authority announces that the country's GDP contracted by 9.5% in 2020, the biggest GDP contraction since World War II. March 8 – Dito Telecommunity commences commercial operations in selected cities in Visayas and Mindanao, entering the country's telecommunications industry. March 25 – The Overseas Filipino Bank is given the first digital-only bank license in the Philippines, by the Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the country's central bank. May 26 – Monde Nissin makes the largest initial public offering in the Philippines announcing that it has raised in its debut in the Philippine Stock Exchange. The IPO was filed on March 4.
Entertainment and culture
March 27 – Samantha Bernardo wins the title of 1st runner-up in the Miss Grand International 2020 pageant which was held in Bangkok, Thailand. April 5 – Kelley Day wins the title of 1st runner-up in the Miss Eco International 2020 pageant which was held in Egypt. May 17 – Rabiya Mateo finishes in the Top 21 at Miss Universe 2020 in Florida, USA. July 11 – Hannah Arnold wins Miss International Philippines 2021, Samantha Alexandra Panlilio wins Miss Grand International Philippines 2021, Cinderella Faye Obenita wins Miss Intercontinental Philippines 2021, and Maureen Montagne wins Globe Philippines 2021. August 8 – Naelah Alshorbaji wins Miss Philippines Earth 2021 via virtual coronation. She represents the Philippines at Miss Earth 2021 on November 21. August 21 – Dindi Pajares finishes in the Top 12 at Miss Supranational 2021 in Malopolska, Poland.