2023 in the Philippines details notable events that occurred in the Philippines in 2023.
On July 21, 2023, President Bongbong Marcos announced that the government will formally lift the COVID-19 state of public health emergency, marking the end of the three years of the pandemic. The emergency was officially lifted the following day.
Incumbents
President: Bongbong Marcos (PFP) Vice President: Sara Duterte (HNP) Congress (19th): Senate President: Migz Zubiri (Independent) House Speaker: Martin Romualdez (Lakas-CMD) Chief Justice: Alexander Gesmundo
Ongoing events COVID-19 pandemic (until July 22) Philippine sugar crisis
Events
January January 1 – 2023 Philippine airspace closure: The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines closes the country's airspace for nearly six hours due to a power outage in its air traffic management center that affected its communication systems, disrupting more than 280 commercial flights and more than 56,000 passengers. January 4 – The Ateneo de Manila University debate team wins the 2023 World Universities Debating Championship, the world's largest international debating tournament, held at the King Juan Carlos University in Madrid, Spain. It is the first time that a Philippine university has won the title. January 10 – Territorial disputes in the South China Sea: The Supreme Court nullifies the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking agreement between the Philippine National Oil Company, the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, and Petrovietnam to conduct joint oil and gas exploration activities within the Philippine exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea since 2005, citing the unconstitutionality of permitting foreign corporations and governments to exploit the country's natural resources. The decision is affirmed in July. January 13 – Zootaxa reveals in a publication the discovery of two new species of hedgehog (Podogymnura) in the mountains of Mindanao. January 18 – The Court of Tax Appeals acquits online news website Rappler as well as its founder, Maria Ressa, in a tax evasion case filed against them by the Duterte administration in 2018. January 24: The Supreme Court en banc votes, 13–1, to declare the TRAIN Law (Republic Act No. 10963) as constitutional, with two petitions against the law dismissed. A Cessna 206, bound for Maconacon, Isabela from Cauayan, is reported missing. The plane would be found on March 9 in Divilacan, with all six people aboard confirmed dead. January 25 – A Philippine Air Force SF.260 training flight from Sangley Point Airport in Cavite City, crashes on a paddy field in Pilar, Bataan, killing two people on board. January 30 – The Anti-Terrorism Council announces its resolutions, dated December 7, 2022, designating community doctor Natividad Castro, an alleged active member of the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People's Army–National Democratic Front, and the Al Khobar Group in Mindanao, allegedly linked to the Dawlah Islamiyah, as terrorists.
February February 1 – Philippines–United States relations: The Philippines permits the United States Armed Forces access to an additional four military bases, thereby expediting the full implementation of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. February 6 – Second Thomas Shoal laser incident: A China Coast Guard vessel allegedly uses a laser weapon on a Philippine Coast Guard ship near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea leading to the Philippines filing a diplomatic protest. February 8 – The Supreme Court publicizes a January 16 decision dismissing graft charges filed in 1990 against Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and former senate president Juan Ponce Enrile and eight other respondents in relation to the Coco Levy Fund scam, citing violation of the right to speedy trial as well as the deaths of four of those involved. February 11 – Camp Evangelista shooting: Four soldiers are killed and another is critically injured by a fellow soldier during a mass shooting at a barracks in Cagayan de Oro. The perpetrator is shot dead. February 15 – The Supreme Court publicizes a January 17 decision affirming the dismissal in 2012 by the Ombudsman of graft complaints filed against two former members of President Ferdinand Marcos' cabinet, Roberto Ongpin and Jose Aspiras, and six other individuals in connection with the granting of loans in 1980 involving the Philippine National Bank. February 17 – Maguing ambush: Four people are killed and two others are injured, including Lanao del Sur governor Mamintal Alonto Adiong Jr., when their convoy is ambushed in Maguing, Lanao del Sur, by unknown gunmen. February 18 – A Cessna 340 aircraft operated by Energy Development Corporation crashes on Mayon Volcano, Albay, upon taking off from Bicol International Airport in Daraga for Manila, killing all four people on board, all of whom were employees of the corporation, including two Australian technical consultants. February 24 – The Philippine Independent Church ordains Wylard Ledama to the diaconate as the first trans woman clergy in the country. February 25 – A special election is held to fill the vacant seat in Cavite's 7th congressional district in the House of Representatives. Jesus Crispin Remulla, the previous officeholder, vacated the seat to serve as the Secretary of Justice. His son, Crispin Diego Remulla, is elected to the seat. February 28 – Oil tanker MT Princess Empress sinks off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, resulting in the spillage of its diesel fuel and almost a million-liter industrial cargo fuel. The oil spill affects Oriental Mindoro, southern Occidental Mindoro, northern Palawan, Caluya in Antique, parts of Batangas (Verde Island, Tingloy, and San Juan) and southern Quezon;Citations on affected areas:
combined damages to environment and livelihood reaches ₱10.8-billion. (Damage to livelihood according to a report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, April 26; environmental damage according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, April 27.)
March March 4 – Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo, along with nine others, was murdered in his home in Pamplona.Citations on the incident:
March 6–7 – 2023 transport strike in the Philippines: Operators of traditional public jeepneys and minivans hold a strike in various cities to protest against the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program. Initially planned for a week, the strike ended earlier following a meeting between labor union leaders and Office of the President officials. March 8 – The United Nations' committee on women's rights releases its decision, finding that the country breached its obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and violated the rights of victims of sexual abuse by the Japanese Army in World War II, and recommending the government's full reparation for the complainants. March 13: The Navotas Regional Trial Court (RTC), in a publicized decision, convicts dismissed policeman Jefrey Perez of murder, sentencing him to reclusión perpetua, in the second conviction in relation to the deaths of two teenagers in 2017 during the country's drug war. The Supreme Court, in a publicized February 8 ruling, reverses two rulings by the Court of Appeals which had ordered re-filing of charges of crimes against chastity against actor Vhong Navarro, eventually dismissing them citing lack of probable cause. March 22 – The House of Representatives unanimously issues a 60-day suspension to Negros Oriental's 3rd district representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. due to his prolonged travel outside the Philippines with an expired travel clearance, constituting "disorderly behavior" under Section 142(a) of the House code of conduct for incumbent representatives. On May 31, another 60-day suspension is given to Teves due to his continued unauthorized absences. March 25 – The Antipolo Cathedral gains status as an international shrine in accordance with a papal decree received on March 13. The cathedral in Antipolo, Rizal, becomes the eleventh international shrine in the world, the third in Asia, and the first in the Philippines.Citations on the event:
March 29 – Passenger ferry MV Lady Mary Joy 3 catches fire near Baluk-Baluk Island, Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan while on its way to Jolo, Sulu; thirty-three die.Citations on MV Lady mary Joy 3: Initial reports:
Official count according to PCG:
April April 3 – Makati–Taguig boundary dispute: The Supreme Court releases an earlier resolution ruling with finality that Fort Bonifacio belongs to Taguig, following a territorial dispute with Makati over the barangay. April 18 – The Supreme Court, issuing a Writ of Kalikasan, orders the prevention of the commercial release of genetically modified rice and eggplant products. April 19 – The Court of Appeals releases a February 6 decision upholding the 2019 conviction of former bank manager Maia Santos-Deguito for money laundering regarding the 2016 Bangladesh Bank robbery. April 20 – The government of Occidental Mindoro declares a province-wide state of calamity due to power outages that have been occurring for more than a month. April 21 – SS Montevideo Maru, a Japanese merchant ship torpedoed during World War II in the deadliest incident in Australia's maritime history, is found at the South China Sea, northwest of Luzon.
May May 12 – The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) acquits former Senator Leila de Lima in connection with the second of three drug cases against her. May 17 – President Marcos signs Republic Act No. 11939, amending RA No. 11709 which fixed the term of office of key officers in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and providing also certain rules for compulsory retirement for the personnel. May 19 – Kuwait–Philippines relations: The Ministry of Interior of Kuwait suspends the issuance of travel and work visas to Filipinos for allegedly breaching a bilateral labor agreement signed in 2018. May 21 – The Manila Central Post Office, designated as an "important cultural property" of the country by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, is destroyed by a fire. May 22: The Sandiganbayan dismisses 16 counts of graft against pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles, acquitting her in relation to the scam involving Senator Bong Revilla. It also reports its May 10 decision convicting her and four other individuals of charges of graft and malversation in connection with the use of pork barrel of the late former Davao del Sur representative Douglas Cagas, whose case against him has been dismissed along with eight others. The Manila Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 17 convicts Peter Joemel "Bikoy" Advincula for perjury over his allegations against Free Legal Assistance Group lawyers Chel Diokno, Erin Tañada, and Theodore Te.
June June 6 – The Angeles City RTC convicts a police personnel and a former National Bureau of Investigation agent in connection with the 2016 death of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo, sentencing each of them up to 65 years in prison; but acquits the alleged mastermind, PLtCol. Rafael Dumlao. June 8 – The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issues a "level 3 alert" for Mayon Volcano in Albay due to the presence of volcanic earthquakes, indicating an increased risk of lava flows and possible eruptions. Albay Governor Edcel Greco Lagman orders the evacuation of residents within a radius of the volcano. June 14 – Moro conflict: Islamic State–East Asia overall leader and Dawlah Islamiyah leader Fajarudin Benito (Abu Zacharia) and his lieutenant are killed in separate operations by combined security forces in Marawi. June 20 – The Sandiganbayan, in a publicized June 13 ruling, junks the bid of government prosecutors to present a new witness in the ill-gotten wealth case against personalities linked to former president Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda due to a lack of merit.