To be quite honest, the Philippines entered 2023 in such an eventful manner. We’re not even joking– the headlines were ablaze almost every day of the month. These news items weren’t even in our January 2023 bingo card–they just happened, like that.
And because of the numerous mind-boggling failures and embarrassing moments experienced by the entire Philippines, January felt like an eternity.
And so, here’s a (quite distressing) rundown of how the Philippines’ first month of 2023 transpired, but this isn’t a comprehensive list because honestly, we couldn’t keep track:
First Week of January:
- NAIA Air Traffic Fiasco
- Philippine inflation reaches 8.1%
- BPI’s 0431 Debit Memo
- Grab PH hikes minimum fare
- 5.0 magnitude earthquake hits Davao
- Donnalyn Bartolome’s toxic positivity flak
- McCoy de Leon and Elisse Joson’s breakup
- Heart Evangelista debunks separation rumors with Chiz Escudero in Japan trip
- Kelvin Miranda cheating issue with Kira Ballinger
- Peso hits strongest level in six months
- Senator Jinggoy Estrada filed a bill seeking the inclusion of constitutional education in the curriculum of junior and senior high school.
Second Week of January:
- Carlo Aquino and Charlie Dizon confirmed to be dating
- Dolly De Leon goes to Hollywood for the Golden Globes
- Celeste Cortesi fails to reach the Top 16 at the Miss Universe pageant
- Almost four hundred thousand devotees gather in Quiapo for the Feast of Black Nazarene
- BigBang’s Taeyang collaborate with BTS’ Jimin for the song “Vibe”
- Maine Mendoza slams sales associate who called her ‘snub’
- Spread of SIM registration related fraudulent schemes
- LTFRB approves LRT fare hike
- Importation of more than 21,000MT of onions has been authorized by Department of Agriculture
- Paul Soriano announced that Filipino films may be shown in China soon
Third Week of January:
- The Wavy Baby Festival issue with the Cebuano artists
- Showtime welcomes back Vhong Navarro and Denice Cornejo retaliates
- The Alex Gonzaga cake smearing thing
- Dolly De Leon gets nominated for the BAFTAs for best supporting actress
- A Philippine Air Force Aircraft crashed, killing two people
- 8 Army officers face raps for Davao City model’s slay
- Senator Cynthia Villar defended the University of the Philippines’ plan to confer an honorary degree to her son and fellow senator Mark Villar, noting that he had “helped UP a lot.”
- Maria Ressa finally gets acquitted of tax evasion charge
- Chito Miranda appeals for financial help for bandmate with lymphoma
- Price of eggs increases
Fourth Week of January:
- Toni Gonzaga’s 20th anniversary concert (and everything else about it)
- McCoy de Leon and Elisse Joson seen together in public after breakup
- Dolly De Leon gets snubbed at the 2023 Oscar nominations
- Dina Bonnevie’s addresses past interview and eventually revealing everything in an interview
- Filipino-Chinese discourse jumpstarted by Derek Ramsey
- Floods hit Zamboanga City
- The number of Filipino teenagers on suicide watch has increased
- Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda filed a bill seeking to expand the list of non-essential goods and increase its tax rate.
- The audacity of Song Joong-Ki to get married? Charot.
- Paolo Contis, of course.
- I mean, Paolo Contis already confirmed what we all knew.
- There is that possibility that foreign fugitives are running criminal enterprises while inside detention, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said.
- A laundry shop exploded near De La Salle University, injuring bystanders
- Are we in the 90s, because some 1.3 million households will experience rotational brownouts this year due to the high prices of fuel, energy officials said.
- Cessna plane has gone missing in Isabela
- Department of Health issued a warning against purchasing frozen eggs because of the risk of bacteria contamination
- Jinkee Pacquiao belied rumors that her marriage with Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is on the rocks
- Pokwang speaks up about her separation from Lee O’Brian
- Senator Tulfo filed a bill for free funeral services for poor people
- Mark Villar filed Maharlika Investment Fund bill at Senate
But really, what made January feel so darn long? Apart from these roller coaster of news pieces, it could be because we were all up and back to our daily grind as early as January 2, that January 2023 technically had 5 weeks in it, and January’s petsa de peligro really shook our wallets to the core. Also, January already had 31 days. Agad agad?!
To end this article that gave us second-hand embarrassment while writing it, here are some Tweets to sum up how everyone else feels about January, because wow that month was too long.
[Valid Thoughts #014] Sa sobrang haba ng January, akala ko pasko na ulit next month 🥲
Finally, it’s February!❤️
Text: Ellijah Coloma
Art: Janine Bantilan pic.twitter.com/5EJKPKV6dI— POP! (@InqPOP) January 31, 2023
Isang paalala na January pa rin ngayon.. At January pa rin bukas. Hahahaha yung January 29 parang January 99 na eh 😂
— Edson C. Guido (@EdsonCGuido) January 29, 2023
It's not 'January'.
It's 'Jaaaaaaanuaaaaaaaaaryyyyyyyy'.
— Nico B. Valderrama (@nbvneverquits) January 29, 2023
idk bout y’all but my new year is starting february, january was trial
— jay ✰ (@jayythewave) January 30, 2023
so excited for the second worst month of the year (january) to end. now it’s time for the worst month of the year (february)
— trash jones (@jzux) January 31, 2023
Kamusta naman ang January 99 niyo? 😆😆
— Pia Wurtzbach Jauncey (@PiaWurtzbach) January 31, 2023
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