The following events happened in the Philippines in the year 1994.

Incumbents

President: Fidel Ramos (Lakas) Vice President: Joseph Estrada (NPC) Senate President: Edgardo Angara House Speaker: Jose de Venecia, Jr. Chief Justice: Andres Narvasa Philippine Congress: 9th Congress of the Philippines

Events

February February 19 – Separate grenade attacks in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat and Davao City kill 11 people and injure 22.#Journeyto30" by Epi Fabonan III, Philstar.com: (1994) "Southern discomfort" May 14, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2018.

March March 29 – The Philippines gets connected to the Internet. The Philippine Network Foundation (PHNet) connected the country to Sprint in the United States via a 64 kbit/s link.Miguel A. L. Paraz: Developing a Viable Framework for Commercial Internet Operations in the Asia-Pacific Region: The Philippine Experience. ISOC, INET 1997

April April 8 – The Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) acquits eight individuals charged in 1992 of kidnapping three Taiwanese children; among them police chief inspectors, dismissed Maj. Timoteo Zarcal and Maj. Jose Pring."Pring, Zarcal acquitted" (Apr. 9, 1994) Manila Standard, p. 3. Retrieved Apr. 15, 2021.—"Anti-Kidnapping Squad Leaders Charged with Running Hostage Ring" AP News. Aug 18, 1992.—"Matinee idol takes real-life role" Chicago Tribune. Sept. 6, 1992.Retrieved Mar. 13, 2020. The said police officers would be assassinated in separate incidents by the Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB), a unit of the New People's Army, later that year.—(Opinion) "The dirty war against illegal drugs" Cebu Daily News. July 7, 2016.—"Jailed But Not Jaded" Task Force Detainees of the Philippines. December 1, 2012.Retrieved Mar 13, 2020. April 10: The massacre of Helen, Chelsea Liz and Anne Geleen Arandia in Lipa City, Batangas. Mandaluyong becomes a highly urbanized city through ratification of Republic Act 7675. April 19 – Fernando Galera, a fish vendor accused of robbery with rape in January, is convicted by the Quezon City RTC and sentenced to death for the first time since the restoration of the capital punishment in the country on January 1."Court Gives First Death Penalty Since Capital Punishment was Reimposed" Associated Press. Retrieved 04-12-2021."Justice For Whom?" The Defiant.net. Retrieved 04-12-2021."The Death Penalty: Criminality, Justice and Human Rights" Amnesty International (via Refworld). Retrieved 04-12-2021. Soon before his supposed execution in 1997, Galera would be acquitted and ordered released by the Supreme Court after the judgement is reversed, following appeals for re-trial of the case."Waiting to Go" Retrieved 04-12-2021."G.R. NO. 115938" Oct. 30, 1997. Retrieved 04-12-2021. April 25 – Actor Robin Padilla is convicted for illegal possession of firearms; he would begin to serve the prison sentence in 1995. He would be released after being given conditional pardon by then Pres. Ramos; would be given absolute pardon by Pres. Duterte in 2016.For this event and later ones:—"Filipino actor's still on lam after weapons conviction" Associated Press via Deseret News. Aug. 11, 1995.—"Duterte grants absolute pardon to actor Robin Padilla" CNN Philippines. Nov. 15, 2016.For the details of the case:—"G.R. No. 121917" Chan Robles Virtual Law Library. July 31, 1996.—"G.R. No. 121917" Lawyerly. Mar. 12, 1997.All were retrieved June 30, 2022. April 26 – The Supreme Court votes, 7–6, to void a contract between the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and a Malaysian firm to conduct an online lotto in the country, stating that it violates the law.Cable, Honor Blanco. (1995, Jan 1) "'94, The Year That Was." Manila Standard, pp.4–5. Retrieved on March 12, 2020.

May May – A scam, involving undelivered treasury bills, perpetrated by some people in Bancapital Development Corp., is discovered by the authorities. It costs close to a billion peso potential losses in the banking system. May 21 – Miss Universe 1994, the 43rd Miss Universe pageant, was held in Manila. Outgoing Miss Universe Dayanara Torres of Puerto Rico crowned the pageant winner, Sushmita Sen of India. May 26 – Filemon Lagman, leader of Communist Party of the Philippines' (CPP) urban hit squad ABB, is arrested by the military in Quezon City.

June June 5 – A conference on Indonesia's annexation of East Timor is held. June 8 – Abu Sayyaf Group extremists seize about 52 civilians on a highway in Isabela, Basilan, including 50 passengers of a convoy on the way to Lantawan, as well as Lamitan Roman Catholic priest Rev. Cirilo Nacorda; release all hostages but 36 Christians; 15 of them are shot dead and one escape. On June 13, twenty of those held will be freed after ransom money has paid to the captors, as Nacorda only remains in captivity.—"Statement on Father Cirilo Nacorda and the Abbu Sayyaf" CBCP Online. July 10, 1994.—"Kidnappers of Priest Said To Be Near Agreement on Terms of Release" Associated Press. July 12, 1994.—"Safe release of kidnapped priest in Western Mindanao in doubt" UCA News. July 21, 1994.Retrieved Apr. 15, 2021."Abu Sayyaf retaliates, kills 15" (June 9, 1994) Manila Standard, p. 3. Retrieved Apr. 15, 2021. June 10 – Bomb attacks in Zamboanga City, perpetrated by the Abu Sayyaf Group, kill 71 people.

July July – Former members of the MNLF's Bangsa Moro Army kidnap city sports official So Kim Cheng in Davao City; despite closed negotiations, captors did not release the victim and later killed him instead after they learned of a group of operatives conducting own rescue attempt. July 6 The municipality of Santiago in the province of Isabela becomes an independent component city through ratification of Republic Act No. 7720. Nancy Siscar, a 22-year-old elementary school teacher was raped and killed by brothers Jurry Andal, Ricardo Andal and Edwin Mendoza in Barangay Banoyo, San Luis, Batangas.

August August 8 – Fr. Nacorda, having been turned over by ASG to the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) on July 26 as part of efforts for his freedom, is released unharmed, ending a hostage situation that has lasted for about two months.Nacorda turned over by Islamic extremists to a Muslim rebel group:"Priest reported freed by extremists" United Press International. July 26, 1994.Nacorda freed:"Kidnapped Catholic priest released" United Press International. Aug. 8, 1994.Story about C. Nacorda:"Facing Terror, Finding Hope" Faith Full Podcast. Apr. 14, 2018.Retrieved Apr. 15, 2021. August – The Supreme Court declares the controversial VAT (value-added tax) Law legal, and rules as well that the enacted law does not interfering human rights. In response, the Energy Regulatory Board (ERB) later orders a rollback of gasoline prices by ₱1, and also orders the National Power Corporation to lower fuel price cost adjustment charges covering a 17-day period in the first quarter of the year. August 14 – A huge demonstration against birth control is held by hundreds of thousands of Filipinos led by Cardinal Sin, in Luneta Park, Manila. August 27 – Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels hold 8 South Koreans and 30 Filipinos, all working at the construction site of a government's irrigation project in Mindanao, claiming that it intrudes on their territory; hostages are released, Sep 4, following negotiations. August 29 – A coal mine explosion in Malangas, then part of Zamboanga del Sur, kills 119 people in what would be the country's deadliest mine disaster.—"No more survivors expected to be found after mine disaster" AP. August 31, 1994. Retrieved 04-29-2021. —"Gold in the Philippines: How much is it really worth?" Gulf News. March 11, 2019. Retrieved 02-14-2022. —"The worst mining disasters since 1990" Gulf News. May 14, 2014. Retrieved 02-14-2022.

September September 1 – 5 – The government and the Moro National Liberation Front sign a ceasefire agreement, aiming to end guerrilla war. September 4 – Unidentified men abduct traders Sixto Escudero, Sr. in M'lang, Cotabato and Jorge Lim and his two children in General Santos; victims were rescued later by the authorities. September 15 – The Manila RTC, through a temporary restraining order, stops an order from Malacañang disallowing jai alai."Court stops Palace order on jai alai" (Sept. 16, 1994) Manila Standard, p. 3. Retrieved Apr. 15, 2021. September 23 – A mudslide in Mount Pinatubo, triggered by heavy rains a day prior, reportedly kills 20, with 3 missing. Debris flowed include lahars that were released by an eruption in 1991."Philippine Lahar Sep 1994 UN DHA Information Reports 1–3" ReliefWeb. Retrieved Feb. 15, 2021.

October October – Rebel group MILF attack towns in Cotabato, wherein they burn a church and 10 houses in Aleosan, and take hostage 26 civilians in Kabacan, which are freed later on. Within this month, series of terror attacks in the province result in the death of 50 people from both the rebel and government side and displace thousands from four municipalities; are prevented upon ceasefire by end of the month.

November November – Graft charges are filed against dismissed Bureau of Immigration and Deportation chief Zafiro Respicio and 2 others regarding anomalous deportation of 11 Indians facing drug charges in court. November 14 – Eugene Tan, former president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and his driver are abducted by six armed men in Muntinlupa and killed in Silang, Cavite; their bodies will be found four days later in neighboring Dasmariñas. In 2011, the Cavite RTC would only convict the gunman, sentencing to reclusión perpetua, and acquit all other involved. November 15 – An earthquake (Magnitude: 7.1 Mw) followed by huge waves ravages Mindoro, killing at least 65 people and injuring more than 130 others.

December December 2 – Inter-island ship MV Cebu City and Singapore-registered freighter Kota Suria collide in Manila Bay, between Corregidor Island and Maragondon, Cavite, killing more than a hundred, with scores feared drowned. December 8 – Dennis Venturina, a member of UP Sigma Rho fraternity was murdered by five members of the Scintilla Juris Fraternity inside the UP premises. December 11 – A bomb, allegedly planted by Ramzi Yousef, explodes aboard Philippine Airlines Flight 434 bound for Tokyo, killing a Japanese businessman. The bombing, with another one at a movie theater in Manila on Dec. 1, is part of a test run for Project Bojinka.—"New Devices May Foil Airline Security" The Washington Post. July 21, 1996.—"Trial Opens in Alleged Airline Bomb Plot" Los Angeles Times. May 30, 1995.—"Plane Bombing Is Described in Terror Trial" The New York Times. June 4, 1996.—"Tribute to Captain Eduardo Reyes" US Government Publishing Office.—"Mission Hall: Remembering the Past, Informing the Future" (PDF) Transportation Security Administration.All aforementioned were retrieved June 29, 2022.—"Thanks To Fire, Bojinka Plot Terrorism Plan Revealed, In History January 6, 1995" VOI – Waktunya Merevolusi Pemberitaan. Jan. 6, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2022. December 14 – Senate votes, 18–5, to ratify the Uruguay Round on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (UR-GATT), a trade treaty on liberalized worldwide trading system, to be imposed in the country on the first day of 1995."Senate ends debate, ratifies GATT" (Dec. 15, 1994) Manila Standard, p. 3. Retrieved Apr. 15, 2021.

Holidays

As per Executive Order No. 292, chapter 7 section 26, the following are regular holidays and special days, approved on July 25, 1987. Note that in the list, holidays in bold are "regular holidays" and those in italics are "nationwide special days".

January 1 – New Year's Day March 31 – Maundy Thursday April 1 – Good Friday April 9 – Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) May 1 – Labor Day June 12 – Independence Day August 28 – National Heroes Day November 1 – All Saints Day November 30 – Bonifacio Day December 25 – Christmas Day December 30 – Rizal Day December 31 – Last Day of the Year