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2016 in the Philippines

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2016 in the Philippines details events that occurred in the Philippines in 2016.

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Incumbents

For the current incumbents of the executive cabinet under the current administration, see Cabinet of the Philippines. For the current leaders in the Congress of the Philippines, see Senate of the Philippines and the House of Representatives of the Philippines. For the complete list of the current Justices of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, see Current Justices of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
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Rodrigo R.
Duterte
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Leni G.
Robredo
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Aquilino
M. Pimentel III
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Pantaleon
D. Álvarez
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Maria Lourdes
P.A. Sereno
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Events

January

  • January 4 – The Sandiganbayan Special Second Division orders Alfonso Lim Sr., a crony of the late president Ferdinand Marcos, to return to the government all properties he acquired.[1]
  • January 7 – The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division denies the bail petition of Senator Jinggoy Estrada in connection with his alleged involvement in the PDAF scam.[2]
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A satellite captured image of the Kagitingan Reef, internationally known as Fiery Cross Reef.

February

March

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Senator and Presidential candidate Grace Poe-Llamanzares was filed with disqualification cases due to allegations of not meeting the requirements provided by the Constitution.
  • March 8 – Voting 9–6, the Supreme Court affirms Grace Poe's natural-born status and declares her eligibility to run based on her 10-year residency.[42]
  • March 15:
    • The Supreme Court dismisses several petitions by several party-list groups to issue a TRO to stop the implementation of the K+12 education program of the Department of Education.[43]
    • The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee begins its inquiry into the alleged money laundering scandal involving the transfer of $100 million to a branch of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation.[44]
  • March 16:
    • BIR employee Rhodora Alvarez, the whistleblower of a P1.2 billion helicopter deal in 2013, files a plunder complaint against Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin over the anomalous deal.[45]
    • Disqualified Laguna Governor Emilio Ramon "ER" Ejercito and eight other individuals are charged with graft before the Sandiganbayan over an alleged anomalous insurance deal entered in 2008.[46]
  • March 18 – Former Camarines Norte Governor Roy Padilla Jr., is arrested over his failure to return a firearm issued to him in 1992.[47]
  • March 21 – UNESCO adds Albay as one of the 20 additions to its network of protected biosphere nature reserves.[48]
  • March 22:
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Diwata-1, the first Philippine satellite built and designed by Filipino scientists.
  • March 23:
    • Diwata-1 is launched to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Cygnus spacecraft on a supply mission. Cygnus itself is launched using the Atlas V rocket. The satellite is deployed into orbit from the ISS on April 27. Diwata-1 is the country's first micro-satellite and the first satellite to be built and designed by Filipinos.[51]
    • The National Task Force is created for the West Philippine Sea (under the Memorandum Circular 94) that aimed at "achieving unified action" as part of efforts to find a resolution to the country's territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea.[52]
  • March 25 – Chinese customs authorities in Shenzhen destroy 34.78 tons of "substandard bananas" imported from the Philippines due to excessive pesticide use.[53]
  • March 26 – A wildfire on the Philippines' highest mountain, Mount Apo, forces hundreds of people to flee from the peak by foot.[54]
  • March 27 – Anonymous Philippines hacks the website of the Commission on Elections to force them to place security features on Vote Counting Machine (VCM).[55] Later, the LulzSec Pilipinas leaks sensitive information of voters all over the country from the COMELEC website, with the incident being called the "biggest government data breach in history".[56] On April 21, one of the hackers involved in the recent defacement and supposed leak of data from the Commission on Elections' official website has been arrested in Sampaloc, Manila.[57] On April 29, another hacker allegedly responsible for leaking voter information from the Comelec website is arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation.[58]
  • March 28:
    • Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) general manager Neric Acosta is sentenced to a maximum of 10 years of imprisonment after being found guilty of one count of graft by the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division in connection with the misuse of his pork barrel funds as district representative of Bukidnon.[59]
    • None of the three pre-qualified bidders submit offers for the largest Private-Public Partnership (PPP) project to date, the Laguna Lakeshore Expressway estimated to cost around P123 billion.[60]
    • Several piles of license plate sheets are stolen from the Quezon City central office of the Land Transportation Office during the Holy Week break.[61]
  • March 29:
    • Ten Indonesian crew members on board a tugboat are kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants in Philippine waters.[62] They are released in Jolo on May 1.[63]
    • President Aquino signs Republic Act No. 10754 into law a bill authored by Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez granting persons with disabilities (PWDs) exemption from the 12-percent value-added tax (VAT) on certain goods and services.[64]
    • The Commission on Elections decides not to stop the broadcast of senatorial candidate Manny Pacquiao's boxing match on April 9.[65]
  • March 30 – The Ombudsman files graft and technical malversation cases against Sen. JV Ejercito over the alleged anomalous purchase of high-powered firearms worth P2.1 million during his term as mayor of San Juan City.[66]
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Five transactions issued by hackers, worth $101 million and withdrawn from a Bangladesh Bank account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, succeeded, with $20M traced to Sri Lanka (since recovered) and $81M to the Philippines.
  • March 31:
    • The camp of businessman Kim Wong hands over to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the $4.6 million he volunteered to return to the Bangladesh government, supposedly after learning that the money was part of the $81-million 2016 Bangladesh Bank heist.[67] On April 4, Wong turns over an additional P38.28 million to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).[68] On April 19, Eastern Hawaii Leisure Co. Ltd., turns over P200 million to the AMLC.[69]
    • Addong Salahuddin, the suspect in the bombing incident at the Zamboanga City Airport on August 5, 2010, surrenders to the National Bureau of Investigation.[70]

April

  • April 1:
    • At least three are killed and several others were wounded when police disperse a farmers' protest action in Kidapawan demanding relief from the provincial government due to a drought caused by El Niño.[71]
    • The Department of Education, in partnership with Stairway Foundation, launches CyberSafe Project Manuals, which contain individual lesson plans targeting Grades 5 to 6 and junior high students to prevent internet-related child abuse.[72]
  • April 2 – A power outage hits Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay, causing a disruption in the processing of passengers.[73]
  • April 4 – The Olongapo Regional Trial Court Branch 74 denies the petition of US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton to reverse his conviction for his homicide case of Filipino transgender Jennifer Laude.[74]
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The Cebu International Convention Center was the subject of the graft charges filed by Third District of Cebu Representative Gwendolyn Garcia.
  • April 5:
    • The Ombudsman finds probable cause to file charges against former PNP chief Alan Purisima and former SAF director Getulio Napeñas for the Mamasapano clash.[75]
    • The Ombudsman orders the filing of graft charges against re-electionist Cebu 3rd District Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia and 11 other former officials over the alleged anomalous construction of the P833-million Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) in 2006.[76]
  • April 6 – A group calling itself iBalik ang Bilyones ng Mamamayan (iBBM) files a complaint for plunder against Senator Bongbong Marcos for his alleged involvement in the PDAF scam.[77]
  • April 8:
    • Italian national Rolando Del Torchio is released after being kidnapped at his pizza parlor in Dipolog on October 7, 2015.[78]
    • Memorandum Order No. 90 is signed by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., abolishing the 42-year-old Armed Forces of the Philippines–Retirement and Separation Benefits System (AFP–RSBS).[79]
    • Bohol declares a state of calamity due to El Niño.[80]
  • April 9:
    • The Supreme Court declares that their vote on Grace Poe's natural-born status and 10-year residency is final and executory and she is eligible to become president.[81]
    • 18 soldiers and five Abu Sayyaf bandits including a suspected foreign terrorist, Moroccan national Mohammad Khattab, and Ubaida Hapilon, the son of senior leader Isnilon Hapilon are killed during a clash in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan.[82]
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President Aquino in the groundbreaking ceremony of Clark Green City.
  • April 11:
  • April 13 – The Sandidganbayan Fifth Division grants the petitions for bail of former APEC Partylist Representative Edgar Valdez, former Masbate Representative Rizalina Lanete, and Janet Lim-Napoles who are facing plunder charges in connection with the PDAF scam.[85]
  • April 17 – Presidential frontrunner Rodrigo Duterte causes controversy when a video of him making a joke about the rape of a murdered Australian missionary goes viral.[86]
  • April 20:
  • April 25 – John Ridsdel, a Canadian taken hostage by the Abu Sayyaf in Samal Island, is beheaded in Jolo, Sulu.[89]
  • April 27 – Voted 4–3, the COMELEC en banc officially cancels voting on selected malls scheduled on May 9.[90]

May

  • May 2 – Vice presidential candidate and senator Antonio Trillanes IV and attorney Sal Panelo, lawyer of presidential frontrunner Rodrigo Duterte, visit the Bank of the Philippine Islands branch along Julia Vargas Avenue in Pasig, in a bid to settle the Trillanes' allegations of hidden wealth against Duterte.[91]
  • May 5 –Negative advertisements paid by Trillanes targeting Rodrigo Duterte using unidentified children and another one about Duterte's alleged hidden wealth are aired on media outlets, causing uproar.[92] A 72-hour TRO is issued by a court in Taguig to stop any TV stations from airing the advertisements.[93]
  • May 6 – Mario Reyes, former mayor of Coron, Palawan and one of two brothers are accused of masterminding the 2011 murder of journalist and good governance advocate Gerry Ortega is granted bail by the court trying the case.[94]
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Provincial and city breakdown of presidential race 2016.
  • May 9 – The 2016 National and Local elections are held.[95]
  • May 11 – The Sandiganbayan dismisses former Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos' graft charges over the botched $329-million ZTE-National Broadband Network (NBN) deal in 2007.[96]
  • May 14 – Special elections are held in select villages in Visayas and Mindanao, where the Commission on Elections declare a failure of elections.[97]
  • May 16 – Crime journalist Alex Balcoba is murdered outside his family's watch repair shop in Quiapo, Manila.[98]
  • May 18 – President Aquino signs Republic Act No. 10821 or the Children's Emergency Relief and Protection Act which seeks to provide children with comprehensive relief and protection in the aftermath of disasters.[99]
  • May 23:
  • May 30 – Congress proclaims Rodrigo Duterte and Leni Robredo as President-elect and Vice President-elect of the Philippines, respectively, based on the canvassing of votes by the National Board of Canvassers for President and Vice President from May 25 to 27.[103]
  • May 31:
    • The Supreme Court dismisses the appeal of former MMDA chairman and senatorial candidate Francis Tolentino to stop the proclamation of Win Gatchalian, Ralph Recto, and Leila de Lima, the top 10, 11 and 12 senators in the 2016 Philippine Senate election respectively.[104]
    • President Aquino signs Republic Act No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), which amends some previsions of the Tariff and Customs Code of 1978 and to modernize the operations of the Bureau of Customs.[105]

June

  • June 1:
    • The Ombudsman orders the filing of criminal charges against former Valenzuela representative and senator-elect Sherwin Gatchalian, former Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) chairman of the board Prospero Pichay Jr. and 24 other former government officials and private individuals for alleged anomalous acquisition of a thrift bank in 2009.[106]
    • The Philippine Navy commissions its brand new and largest ship, the BRP Tarlac together with three newly acquired landing craft heavy vessels, BRP Waray, BRP Iwak, and BRP Agta.[107]
    • The Sandiganbayan Third Division dismisses the perjury and violation of the code of conduct cases against the late Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.[108]
    • The Antipolo Regional Trial Court dismisses the double-murder case against ex-Colonel Red Kapunan, in connection with the killing of former Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) leader Rolando Olalia and his driver Leonor Alay-ay in 1986.[109][110]
    • The Vatican’s doctrinal watchdog overrules Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles and rejects his 2012 decree declaring that the alleged Marian apparitions in Batangas in 1948 were authentic.[111]
  • June 2 – The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) officially starts phasing out school service vehicles 15 years old and up.[112]
  • June 7 – The Supreme Court dismisses a petition filed by attorney Elly Pamatong, a presidential candidate classified as a nuisance seeking to annul the votes of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte and stop his proclamation by the National Board of Canvassers.[113]
  • June 8 – The Ombudsman upholds the decision of the Manila Prosecutor's Office dismissing a treason and inciting to sedition complaint filed last year against outgoing Presidential Peace Adviser Teresita Deles, peace negotiators Miriam Coronel-Ferrer and Mohagher Iqbal and members of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC).[114]
  • June 12 – The Chinese Coast Guard bars Kalayaan Atin Ito Movement, a Filipino youth group, from sailing to the disputed Scarborough Shoal to plant a Philippine flag there to celebrate the country's Independence Day.[115]
  • June 14:
    • Robert Hall, the second Canadian taken hostage by Abu Sayyaf in Samal Island, is beheaded in Jolo .[116]
    • The Supreme Court dismisses a petition that sought to stop the lease of 70,977 optical mark reader (OMR) machines for P6.286 billion that were used in the May 2016 elections.[117]
    • The two Cessna aircraft sequestered from the late Alfonso Lim, an alleged crony of the Marcos family, are sold by the Sandiganbayan for a significantly low amount of P140,000.[118]
    • The Supreme Court temporarily stops the Land Transportation Office (LTO) from issuing 700,000 license plates to motorists and from accepting more license plates from the Bureau of Customs.[119]
    • Eight Philippine universities led by the University of the Philippines (UP) are included in the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) University Rankings on the top 350 universities in Asia.[120]
  • June 15 – Informal talks between the incoming Duterte administration and representatives of the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF) commence in Oslo, Norway.[121]
  • June 16:
    • President Aquino vetoes House Bill No. 6411 and Senate Bill No. 2720 that seeks to improve the nursing profession, including raising the minimum monthly salary of nurses to almost P25,000.[122]
    • The Sandiganbayan First Division acquits former Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William Ramirez of graft in connection with the alleged anomalous procurement of cycling equipment in 2007.[123]
    • The COMELEC en banc grants the Liberal Party's request and several similar petitions that they be allowed to file their statement of contributions and expenses (SOCE) beyond the June 8 deadline long before the May 9 elections.[124]
    • Malacañang temporarily stops the Department of Justice (DOJ) from filing criminal charges against newly elected 1-Pacman party-list Representative Mikee Romero, who was alleged to have committed qualified theft against Harbour Centre Port Terminal Inc. (HCPTI).[125]
  • June 17 – The Manila Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) Branch 12, orders the two siblings of Iglesia ni Cristo executive minister Eduardo V. Manalo, expelled members Angel and Lottie, to vacant from a property of the religious sect in No. 36 Tandang Sora Street, Quezon City.[126]
  • June 21 – The Commission on Elections en banc accepts the resignation of senior Commissioner Christian Robert Lim as head of the Campaign Finance Office (CFO), following the extension of the filing of their statements of contributions and expenditures.[127]
  • June 23 – The DOJ dismisses criminal complaints filed by American missionary Lane Michael White, against airport employees, including four aviation police officers, in connection with the alleged bullet planting scheme at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.[128]
  • June 24 – Marites Flor, a Filipina taken hostage by Abu Sayyaf in Samal Island, is released in Jolo.[129]
  • June 25 – The Department of Science and Technology launches the very first Filipino-made hybrid electric train.[130]
  • June 27: President Aquino signs Republic Act No. 10868 into law a measure that will grant a P100,000 cash incentive and additional benefits and privileges to Filipino centenarians.[131]
  • June 28:
    • President Aquino signs Republic Act No. 10867 into law, that mandating the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)’s reorganization and modernization, 69 years after the creation of its first charter.[132]
    • The Supreme Court dismisses a petition filed by retired Army Col. Justino Padiernos and attorney Manuelito Luna, questioning the Commission on Elections' decision to extend the filing of the statements of contributions and expenditures of candidates and political parties in the 2016 election.[133]
    • The Supreme Court dismisses a petition filed by Greco Belgica and former Tarlac Governor Tingting Cojuangco seeking the prosecution of all the authors, proponents, and implementors of both the pork barrel system and the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).[134]
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Rodrigo Duterte takes his oath of office as the 16th President of the Philippines.

July

  • July 2 – Grade 6 student Nasif Cali from Denaig Elementary School in Poona Piagapo, Lanao del Norte wins the World Food Programme's (WFP) Children's Design Competition 2016 in Rome, besting 69 other submissions. The WFP awards him personally with $100 and awards his school $2,000 for school supplies.[138]
  • July 4:
    • President Duterte signs his first executive order, entitled Reengineering the Office of the President Towards Greater Responsiveness to the Attainment of Development Goals, allowing his Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco, Jr. to oversee 12 national government agencies in coming up with a set of programs to reduce both the incidence and magnitude of poverty.[139]
  • July 5 – President Duterte, in his speech during the 69th anniversary of the Philippine Air Force names five top police generals who were allegedly involved in illegal drug trade.[140]
  • July 6 – PAGASA announces the end of the El Niño phenomenon.[141]
  • July 10 – Three Philippine islands, Palawan, Boracay and Cebu, are featured on the "World's Best Islands" list for 2016 of the New York-based magazine Travel + Leisure.[142]
  • July 11 – The Ombudsman finds probable cause to file graft charges against former Health Secretary Enrique Ona and two other officials of the Department of Health (DOH) for an alleged anomalous ₱392.2-million hospital modernization project in 2012.[143]
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China's nine-dotted line claim over the South China Sea, 1947
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Duterte delivers his first State of the Nation Address, July 25, 2016
  • July 25 – President Duterte delivers his first State of the Nation Address (SONA).[161][162]
  • July 26 – The Supreme Court issues a temporary restraining order that halts the implementation of the curfew ordinances for minors in Manila, Quezon City, and Navotas.[163]
  • July 30:
    • The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) places the Luzon power grid under a red alert status due to low level operating reserves, as seven power plants are encountering problems.[164]
    • President Duterte lifts the unilateral ceasefire and placed troops on high alert after the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) failed his deadline to make their own declaration.[165]

August

  • August 1 – The Duterte administration launches a 24-hour complaint office accessible to the public through a nationwide hotline, 8888, and changes the nationwide emergency telephone number from 117 to 911.[166][167]
  • August 2 – Mayor Rolando Espinosa of Albuera, Leyte, who is linked to drug trafficking, surrenders to PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa, after he and his son Kerwin are asked by President Duterte to voluntarily surrender within 24 hours or face a shoot-on-sight order by police.[168]
  • August 3 – Six aides of Ronaldo and Kerwin Espinosa are killed in a shootout with police in Albuera.[169]
  • August 4 – The Sandiganbayan grants the motion of theOmbudsman to amend the plunder case against former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante in connection with the ₱723-million fertilizer fund scam.[170]
  • August 5 – The Supreme Court grants the provisional liberty to Satur Ocampo and two others who were allied with the Communist Party of the Philippines to allow them to attend the peace talks with the government in Oslo.[171]
  • August 7 – President Duterte publicly names more than 150 government officials including mayors, judges, police and lawmakers who are allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade.[172][173][174]
  • August 8– Fourteen are killed, eight are injured and 262,271 families are affected after heavy rains and floods due to southwest monsoon shuts down Metro Manila and nearby provinces.[175]
  • August 11 – Ten high-profile inmates are killed in an explosion inside the Parañaque City Jail.[176]
  • August 12 – The Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 32 grants the bail petition to communist leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon ahead of the scheduled peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines in Oslo.[177]
  • August 13 – Peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front reopen in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[178]
  • August 14:
  • August 15 – The DOJ orders the filing of direct assault with murder charges in court against 88 people over the Mamasapano clash.[184]
  • August 16 – The Supreme Court, acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, dismisses the electoral protest filed by 2010 vice presidential candidate Mar Roxas against former Vice President Jejomar Binay in the May 10, 2010, elections.[185][186]
  • August 17:
    • Mohammad Safyan, an Indonesian crew member of the tugboat Charles, who was abducted by Abu Sayyaf off the high seas near the Philippine border on June 23, along with six other crew members, escapes from his captors in Luuk, Sulu.[187]
    • Maia Deguito, the former branch manager of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation tagged in the $81-million money laundering scandal, is in Makati for perjury.[188]
  • August 20–27 – Peace talks between the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People's Army, National Democratic Front (CPP–NPA–NDF) take place in Oslo.[189]
  • August 22 – The Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights begins its hearing on the spate of summary executions in the Philippines.[190]
  • August 23:
    • The Sandiganbayan founds NBN-ZTE deal whistleblower Jun Lozada, guilty of graft for granting separate leasehold rights over public lands to his brother and to a private company with ties to him under the Lupang Hinirang program of the Philippine Forest Corporation.[191]
    • Rogelio Bato Jr., the lawyer of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa, and his 15-year-old companion, Angelica Bonita are killed in a shooting in Tacloban.[192]
    • The Supreme Court issues a 20-day status quo ante order on the issue of the planned burial of former president Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani.[193]
  • August 25 – President Duterte releases a matrix showing the supposed links of Senator Leila de Lima and other former and current government officials to the alleged illegal drug operations inside the New Bilibid Prison.[194]
  • August 26 – The Philippine government and the NDF sign an indefinite ceasefire agreement as part of efforts to end the five-decade old communist rebellion.[195]
  • August 27–20 inmates escape after the Maute Group, armed with assault rifles and rocket propelled grenades, attack the Lanao del Sur provincial jail.[196]
  • August 29–15 soldiers and 30 Abu Sayyaf members are killed in a clash in Patikul, Sulu.[197]
  • August 31 – Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales is among the year's recipients of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards.[198][199]

September

  • September 2 – An explosion rocks a night market in Davao City, killing 15 people and injuring 70.[200] Abu Sayyaf claims responsibility for the attack.[201]
  • September 4 – President Duterte issues Proclamation No. 55 declaring a state of emergency in the Philippines on account of lawless violence following the Davao City bombing.[202]
  • September 5 – The Philippine National Police launches the Text Bato hotline 2286 and Itaga Mo sa Bato mobile app as the newest tools in its campaign against narcotics.[203][204]
  • September 8 – Joel Reyes, former governor of Palawan and one of two brothers accused of masterminding the 2011 murder of journalist and good governance advocate Gerry Ortega is denied bail by the court trying the case.[205]
  • September 9 – The fact-finding team of the Commission on Elections clears Smartmatic of liability in the controversial alteration of the script of the transparency server used for the quick counts in the May 9 polls.[206]
  • September 11 – The Official Gazette of the Philippines receives criticism after posting a graphic commemorating the dictator Ferdinand Marcos' 99th birth anniversary, with some social media users accusing the government outfit of historical revisionism.[207]
  • September 13 – The Supreme Court dismisses the bid of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) seeking to lift the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued in June 2015 enjoining the procurement, selling, distributing, dispensing and administering and promoting contraceptive implants.[208]
  • September 14 – The Sandiganbayan dismisses the graft case against former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) chief Romulo Neri over the alleged overpriced national broadband network project with China's ZTE Corp. in 2007.[209]
  • September 15 – Edgar Matobato, a former member of the Davao Death Squad, testifies at a Senate hearing on alleged extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration.[210]
  • September 16 – The Sandiganbayan dismisses the graft cases against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo over the allegedly anomalous NBN-ZTE deal.[211]
  • September 17:
    • Kjartan Sekkingstad, a Norwegian taken hostage by the Abu Sayyaf in Samal Island, is released in Jolo.[212]
    • The Provincial Government of Batanes declares a state of calamity due to damage brought by Typhoon Ferdie.[213]
  • September 19 – Voting 16–4–2, the Senate removes Leila de Lima as chairperson of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights after granting Senator Manny Pacquiao's motion to declare the chairmanship and membership of the committee vacant.[214]
  • September 20:
  • September 28 – A riot occurs in New Bilibid Prison, killing high-profile inmate Tony Co, and injuring three others including convicted drug lord Jaybee Sebastian.[217]

October

  • October 13 – President Duterte signs Administrative Order No. 1 which forms the Presidential Task Force against violence and killing of journalists.[218]
  • October 19:

November

  • November 8 – The Supreme Court votes 9–5–1 in favor of former President Ferdinand Marcos' remains to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig.[225]
  • November 18 – Ferdinand Marcos is buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in a private ceremony.
  • November 26–30 – The AFP and Maute Group clash after the latter seize the town of Butig, Lanao del Sur.

December

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Holidays

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Perspective
Main article: Public holidays in the Philippines

On August 26, 2015, the government announced at least 19 Philippine holidays for 2016 as declared by virtue of Proclamation No. 1105, series of 2015.[228] Note that in the list, holidays in italics are "special non-working holidays," those in bold are "regular holidays," and those in non-italics and non-bold are "special holidays for schools."

In addition, several other places observe local holidays, such as the foundation of their town. These are also "special days."

Business and economy

  • January 4 – The Philippine Stock Exchange is named the Best Stock Exchange in Southeast Asia by the Marquee Awards of the Alpha Southeast Asia magazine.[233]
  • February 1 – Following complaints that the ₱100 and ₱1,000 bills seem to look alike, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has released new 100-peso bank notes with a stronger mauve or violet color.[234]
  • February 4:
  • February 18 – Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. inaugurates its manufacturing plant for its snacks line including Cheetos, located in Cabuyao, Laguna.[237]
  • May 25 – President Aquino III signed Republic Act No. 10846 amending the charter of the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC) or the deposit insurance law.[238]
  • May 30 – PLDT, Inc. and Globe Telecom announces the acquisition of telecommunications business and assets of San Miguel Corporation, following the SMC's failed partnership attempt with Australia-based telecom company Telstra.[239]
  • June 16 – President Aquino vetoes House Bill 3675 and Senate Bill 2518 that seeks removing conditions for the condonation of all unpaid income taxes of local water districts (LWDs).[240]
  • July 7 – Geronimo De Los Reyes Jr., the chairman emeritus of Gateway Property Holdings, and acclaimed veterinarian Anton Mari Lim were among on the list of Heroes of Philanthropy by Forbes Asia.[241]
  • July 19 – The Court of Appeals voided an order issued by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in November 2012, requiring telecommunications companies to cut their Short Message Service (SMS) rates and return the excess amount paid by subscribers.[242]
  • July 22:
    • The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disqualifies businessman Roberto Ongpin from serving as an officer or board member in any public company or publicly listed company after he allegedly engaged in insider trading in the sale of Philex mining shares in 2009.[243]
    • The DOTr and LTFRB stops accepting applications for new drivers for Uber and Grab due to a backlog as the government reviews its policies on fare spikes.[244]
  • July 23 – The Court of Appeals denies Globe Telecom's petition to prevent the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) from reviewing its joint ₱69.1-billion acquisition with PLDT of San Miguel Corp's telecom business.[245]
  • August 8 – The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation files a criminal complaint for syndicated fraud against the former directors, officers, employees and consultants of the closed Banco Filipino Savings and Mortgage Bank, estimating losses to the bank at P669.6 million.[246]
  • August 29 – Three Philippine-listed companies, Jollibee Foods Corp., Puregold Price Club and Robinsons Retail Holdings were made to list of this year's Forbes Asia Fabulous 50 List.[247]
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Health

  • March 3 – President Aquino signs the Rare Disease Act, that aims for the persons who have rare diseases to have access to better and comprehensive healthcare.[248]
  • March 6 – The Department of Health confirms that an American tourist was tested positive with Zika virus after staying for four weeks in the Philippines. A widespread Zika virus outbreak in the Americas was ongoing at the time.[249]
  • April 4 – The Department of Health has launched its school-based dengue immunization program.[250] On April 25, over 200,000 students have been already received by the DOH, the first ever vaccine against dengue since the vaccination program started on April 4.[251]
  • April 21 – A norovirus outbreak strikes Zamboanga City killing 4 people and 700 others, including children, were hospitalized.[252]
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The event at which five concertgoers collapsed and subsequently died took place at the SM Mall of Asia parking area.
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Sports

For the full list of events related to Philippine sports in 2016, see 2016 in Philippine sports.
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The San Miguel Beermen huddle after Game 6 of the 2015–16 PBA Philippine Cup Finals.
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Entertainment and culture

For the events related to Philippine television in 2016, see 2016 in Philippine television; for films, see List of Philippine films of 2016; and for music, see 2016 in Philippine music.
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Deaths

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

  • December 18 – Bobby Guanzon, Filipino journalist and politician, cardiac arrest (b. 1948)
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See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2016 in the Philippines.

References

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