January 2023: Starting the year on the wrong foot
By Andrei Miguel Hermosa
It’s been a wild first month of 2023. From airport issues, corruption cases, and controversial celebrities, the new year welcomed us with the same old problems that we had hoped to leave behind in the past year.
During such a slow and turbulent month, the only thing we ever looked forward to was for the month to finally end.
Here is a roundup of the events that made January such a tough ride — and some that made it bearable.
1. NAIA flights disrupted due to technical issues
Chaos ensued on New Year’s Day at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after a technical glitch disrupted the airport’s air traffic control system, halting a thousand flights and causing inconvenience to several passengers.
A total of 360 flights were either delayed, canceled, or diverted and about 65,000 passengers were left stranded at the airport. At least 3,000 of the passengers were overseas Filipino workers, whose jobs were put at risk due to the halted flights.
According to the Department of Transportation, the glitch was caused by a malfunctioning in the power system that resulted in loss of communication, radio, radar and internet for about ten hours, as well as the sudden power surge that occurred right after the power outage. The department also pointed out that the airport’s air navigation system was “outdated” by about 10 to 15 years, despite being launched only in 2018.
This embarrassing fiasco further solidified the image of NAIA as one of the ‘worst’ and ‘most stressful’ airports in the world.
2. Donnalyn Bartolome in hot water anew after toxic ‘back-to-work’ post
Just a few days into the new year, singer and vlogger Donnalyn Bartolome drew flak once again after questioning why people were being sad about getting back to work after the holiday season.
In a now-deleted Facebook post, Bartolome wrote: “[Why are some people getting sad about going back to work? Shouldn’t you be happy because you have a chance to improve your life and your family? Personally, I prefer working on January 1 since I have this superstitious belief that I’ll be working the whole year if I do that. You should be grateful that you have work. If work makes you unhappy, I hope you find a job that will. Anyway, this is just a reminder that having a job is a blessing. Change mindset, it’s 2023.]”
Bartolome’s post quickly went viral and stirred criticisms as several netizens called out the influencer for being “out of touch” and “insensitive” to the sentiments of many Filipinos who continue to endure difficult working conditions in the country. Her post is said to be an example of toxic positivity.
“What Donnalyn fails to understand is that being poor and underpaid in this system that favors only the rich are time consuming and exhausting,” one netizen tweeted. “[You’re lucky because you’re earning millions]. There are people there who work harder than you but are not earning a living wage.”
Content creator Janine Vela also gave her two cents on the matter, saying: “I understand Donnalyn — [but I hope she also understands that it’s not that simple for people to find jobs that make them happy.] Some even struggle to find jobs with fair wages and work hours. [Yes, we need to be grateful, but it’s still valid to be tired and sad.]”
The singer-vlogger previously drew backlash for her “kanto-themed” birthday party in August 2022 and her inappropriate baby-themed photos in July 2022.
3. Marcos Jr. approves onion importation
Last December 2022, onions made headlines when their prices skyrocketed to as high as P720 per kilogram, seven times more expensive than six months ago. This sudden price surge is believed to be caused by insufficient supply, following an onion shortage from the past months.
In an effort to mitigate the supply shortage, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who concurrently heads the Department of Agriculture (DA), approved the importation of 21,060 metric tons (MT) of onions, 940 MT less than DA’s recommendation of 22,000 MT. Marcos gave importers until January 27 to ship imported onions.
Marcos Jr.’s move to import onions immediately drew opposition from critics. Many criticized the timing of the importation, citing that it could harm local farmers since the harvesting period will happen from January to March. Thus, importation should have been implemented during late 2022, when only 2% of the farmers harvested.
Further, Federation of Free Farmers Cooperatives Incorporated national manager Raul Montemayor stressed that only traders will benefit from the situation. “This will further depress prices for farmers, allow traders to take advantage and buy low from farmers…The government is playing into the hands of the traders, ” Montemayor said.
4. Egg prices soar amid onion crisis
As if the onion crisis is not bad enough already, an egg crisis has also beset the country.
Eggs, one of the cheapest sources of protein in the Philippines, now cost P6.90 to P8.70 apiece, significantly higher than the P6 recorded last year. According to the Philippine Egg Board, the surge in egg prices was driven by the bird flu outbreak in Luzon, which struck egg producing areas such as Pampanga and Bulacan. This outbreak resulted in the culling of about 7 million chickens, which greatly curbed egg production and consequently jacked up prices.
As egg prices increased, prices of cakes and other pastries such as mamon, ensaymada and sans rival may also increase soon. According to Philippine Baking Industry Group president Jerry Lao, the baking industry is greatly impacted by the surge in egg prices since egg is a major ingredient for cakes and pastries. This has forced bakers to adjust prices in order to still earn profits.
As these agricultural issues continue to arise, senators asserted that it is high time to appoint a full-time agriculture secretary that would be able to address the current agricultural crisis.
5. Filipina-American R’Bonney Gabriel crowned Miss Universe 2022
R’Bonney Gabriel, a Filipino-American fashion designer, model, and sewing instructor from the United States was crowned Miss Universe 2022 on Saturday, Jan. 14 (Jan. 15 in Manila), making history as the first Filipino-American to be named Miss Universe.
Gabriel bested 83 other candidates from all over the world during the finals night of the 71st Miss Universe at New Orleans, USA. She is USA’s ninth representative to win the title, as well as the oldest entrant to win the pageant, at 28 years old.
Meanwhile, the Philippines’ representative Celeste Cortesi ended her Miss Universe journey early as she failed to advance to the pageant’s Top 16. This is the first time in 12 years that the Philippines did not clinch a spot in the pageant’s semi-finals.
Nevertheless, the Filipina beauty queen still made a big impression on the global stage. From her stunning outfits, stellar fashion moments, and simply her natural elegance, she represented the country with pride and grace.
6. DOH execs accused of mismanaging funds for cancer patients
At least five officials of the Department of Health (DOH) have allegedly mismanaged the agency’s cancer funds, according to an employee from the same agency.
In a complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman last December 22, 2022, DOH medical specialist Dr. Clarito Cairo Jr. claimed that the funds for the Cancer and Supportive-Palliative Medicines Access Program (CSPMAP) were sub-allotted to only 19 of the expected 31 access sites or hospitals. This led to the mismanagement of the CSPMAP budget of P786 million and the Cancer Assistance Fund (CAF) budget of P529 million, which put the lives of many cancer patients at risk.
The accused officials include DOH Undersecretary Beverly Lorraine Ho, DOH Directors Razel Nikka Hao and Anthony Cu, Dr. Kim Patrick Tejano, Dr. Jan Aura Laurelle Llevado, and former DOH Director IV Anna Melissa Guerrero. Cairo asked the Ombudsman to probe the respondents for charges of grave misconduct, malversation of public funds, and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
In response, the DOH stated that it “acted in the best interest” of cancer patients and its decisions were approved by major stakeholders. The department also said that the funds sub-allotted to the hospitals were based on the “documented requests” of the hospitals.
7. Alex Gonzaga under public scrutiny after cake-smearing incident
Alex Gonzaga has caught the ire of netizens after a video showing her smearing cake frosting on a waiter made rounds on social media.
In the now-deleted video posted on content creator Dani Barretto’s Instagram Story on Monday, Jan. 16, Gonzaga was seen blowing the candle of her birthday cake during her advance birthday celebration. After blowing the candle, she dipped her hand into the cake and smeared icing on the forehead of the waiter carrying the cake.
This did not sit well with netizens, who found the actress’ behavior disrespectful and opened conversations about the treatment of service workers in the country.
According to one netizen, what Gonzaga did was “blatant bullying.” They wrote: “What irks me about this Alex Gonzaga fiasco is the power imbalance between her and the server. Being laughed at in front of so many rich [people] must’ve been hard for him, but Alex probably thinks of it as a “joke” lang. [To be honest], this is blatant bullying in plain sight.”
Content creator Janine Vela gave her two cents once again, saying that Gonzaga’s behavior would have been more acceptable if she was close with the server. However, because of the “power dynamics” between the two, the server wasn’t able to complain about his discomfort. Vela then stressed that “service workers are our equals” and must be treated with the respect they deserve.
8. Truth wins’: Maria Ressa cleared of tax evasion
On Jan. 18, the Philippines’ Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) acquitted Noble laureate Maria Ressa and her news company Rappler of four charges of tax evasion, ending over four years of legal hearings against the veteran journalist. Ressa would have faced a sentence of 34 years in prison if convicted.
In its 80-page decision, the CTA First Division ordered the acquittal of Ressa and Rappler for “failure of the prosecution to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt” on three counts of willful failure to supply the correct information and one count of tax evasion.
The tax evasion case began in 2018, under the previous Duterte government, when authorities accused Rappler of attempting to evade payment of taxes when it raised capital through its partnership with foreign investors. Authorities alleged that the company omitted information about profits linked to foreign investors in its value-added tax returns and income tax returns for 2015.
“Today, facts win, truth wins, justice wins.” Ressa said after the verdict, dedicating her victory to truth and justice. She added that the charges against her and Rappler are politically motivated — an abuse of power that was “meant to stop journalists from doing their jobs.”
But despite this triumph, Ressa’s battle for truth and justice is not over yet. She continues to face the threat of prison from three criminal cases, including a cyber libel conviction, which is currently on appeal.
9. DepEd laptop procurement mess overpriced by nearly P1 billion
After months of thorough investigation, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee concluded that the Department of Education’s (DepEd) controversial laptop procurement in 2021 was overpriced by “at least P979 million.” Based on the committee’s findings, the nearly 40,000 laptops procured was priced at P58,270, which is two times more expensive than what its budget of P24,741 allowed.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee recommended the filing of graft charges against at least eight former and current officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) who allegedly conspired to procure overpriced laptops that amounted to P2.4 billion in 2021. Among these officials are DepEd Undersecretary for Finance Analyn Sevilla, former DepEd Undersecretary Alain Del Pascua, former DepEd Assistant Secretary Salvador Malana III, DepEd information and communications technology director Abram Abanil, former PS-DBM chiefs Lloyd Christopher Lao and Jaysonmer Uayan, PS-DBM bids and awards committee chair Ulysses Mora, and Engr. Marwan O. Amil. Other officials of the two departments who may have taken part in the conspiracy will also be facing criminal liabilities.
Furthermore, DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa vowed that DepEd will work on improving the efficiency and transparency of its procurement processes. The department will “definitely consider” the Senate’s findings and recommendations to tighten its “internal controls on procurement.”
10. Bondee is the internet’s newest obsession
By now, you’ve probably encountered Bondee in your social media feeds. You’ve probably seen your friends posting their cute avatars with a QR code on their Instagram stories — or perhaps their customized virtual rooms.
In case you’re out of the loop, Bondee is a virtual avatar social app developed by Singapore-based tech firm Metadream. The app allows users to personalize avatars, design their own rooms, and hang out with their friends — all within a metaverse setting. Users can chat with each other, visit each other’s virtual rooms, and do activities such as eating, dancing, and camping together. Through these creative features, the app offers a unique and entertaining way to connect with other people.
Ever since its launch on January 17, Bondee has quickly taken social media by storm. As of this writing, it has amassed more than one million downloads on Google Play and is dominating app store charts in multiple countries.
With all the chaos that erupted this month, it has become difficult to keep our hopes up for the rest of the year. But amid the darkness, there remains a sliver of hope. Just like how Maria Ressa earned her first legal victory, or how we found pleasure in Bondee, perhaps there’s a chance that we may begin to see brighter horizons soon.
After all, this is just the beginning. The start of the year may not have been great, but it is how the rest of the year will turn out that will matter the most.
