Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — This year started with a mess at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after a power outage put flights on hold.
Political controversies erupted left and right, capped by the Marcos administration announcing, in an unprecedented move, the agreement to resume peace talks with communist rebels.
As 2023 comes to a close, CNN Philippines also looks back at some of the disasters the country faced, from volcanic unrest to powerful earthquakes, and even fires and boat incidents.
Mayon’s unrest
Over 20,000 people in Albay had to be evacuated as the province saw the quick escalation of Mayon Volcano’s unrest in early June, with the volcano’s alert level status upgraded to Level 2 and Level 3 within a week.
READ: The beauty is a beast: Mayon Volcano’s unrest in 2023
‘ ‘116’: ‘image’: ‘jcr:83856d80-ee9a-49d8-a91a-a37aba265108
In December, state volcanologists lowered the alert status to Level 2 after they recorded a “general decline in unrest” since November.
Aside from Mayon, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised in October an Alert Level 1 status over Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon, around 70 kilometers southeast of Mayon. Taal Volcano, which is located in Batangas, also spewed volcanic smog or vog in September.
RELATED: Phivolcs needs ₱120B to monitor all volcanoes in PH
Consecutive earthquakes rock Surigao del Sur
In the last month of 2023, movement along the Philippine Trench triggered two major earthquakes that shook Surigao del Sur, reportedly killing three people, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
‘ ‘117’:
On the night of Dec. 2, a massive magnitude 7.4 quake jolted the waters off Hinatuan town in Surigao del Sur. Two days later, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Cagwait, another town in the province. A series of tremors were also recorded in the two towns on the same day.
A state of calamity was declared in Hinatuan town as the earthquake caused over ₱1.1 billion worth of infrastructure damage and ₱153.15 million of agriculture damage.
Deadly typhoons displace millions, trample on agri sector
This year, the country, highly vulnerable to the climate crisis, recorded 11 tropical cyclones, including Super Typhoon Betty (Mawar). But even bad weather caused by low pressure areas, shear lines, and monsoons affected the lives of many Filipinos.
‘ ‘118’: ‘image’: ‘jcr:eb983cad-0732-463e-81d5-c4406e904701’ ‘imageCaption’: ‘Authorities rescue residents of Sitio Libtong, Barangay Central in Manay, Davao Oriental due to floods brought about by Tropical Depression
Authorities reported 45 deaths and 2 million displaced residents across the country due to the continuous rainfall that lasted almost the whole of January.
In July, the disaster management agency reported 30 deaths due to typhoons Egay (Doksuri) and Falcon (Khanun) and affected over 5 million locals.
WATCH: Over 100 areas under state of calamity
Data from the NDRRMC showed most of the fatalities were caused by either floods or landslides.
‘ ‘119’: ‘image’: ‘jcr:2ffd527a-6cef-4adf-9b65-86a68ea38357’ ‘imageCaption’: ‘Five people were killed in General Nakar, Quezon following a landslide in Sitio Angelo, Brgy. Umiray on Tuesday night due to continuous
The weather disturbances took a great toll on the country’s agricultural sector, with Egay alone leaving more than ₱4 billion worth of agricultural damage, the Department of Agriculture said. Some groups said each affected farmer needed ₱25,000 worth of aid.
RELATED: PH seeks rice importation to prepare for impact of El Niño, ‘Egay’ on harvest
Price increases in vegetables, including bell pepper, cabbage and carrots, were seen in Metro Manila markets after Egay. The cost of tomatoes climbed to ₱120 per kilo – ₱45 more compared with its price in June. It further went up by ₱210 per kilo on Sept. 1 due to Falcon and Super Typhoon Goring (Saola) in August.
Mindoro oil spill
The threat from a massive oil spill in the waters of Mindoro was also one of the biggest news in 2023. It affected 200,000 locals and halted the work of around 27,000 fishers, with the country losing nearly ₱5 billion worth in fish production.
‘ ‘120’:
MT Princess Empress was carrying around 900,000 liters of industrial fuel when it capsized on Feb. 28, then eventually sank a day after. It took authorities four months to siphon off the remaining oil in the vessel’s cargo tanks. Oil slicks reportedly reached Antique, Palawan, and the Verde Island Passage.
‘ ‘121’: ‘image’: ‘jcr:e241d495-8b9b-42b9-ad7a-493a7f7c9ecc’ ‘imageCaption’: ‘On April 22, oil spill-affected fisherfolk are clearing the shores of Pola, Oriental Mindoro of oil slicks as part of their tasks in the
RELATED: Mindoro oil spill may damage habitats worth ₱7B – DENR
Capsized boats
In July, at least 26 people drowned after MB Aya Express, which sailed during bad weather, sank in waters off Binangonan, Rizal.
‘ ‘122’:
Authorities found that the motorbanca with a seating capacity of 42 carried nearly 70 passengers who were not wearing life vests. The captain also admitted that he bribed Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel to allow him to sail even when the vessel was overloaded. A survivor revealed that the boat was also loaded with heavy items such as sacks of rice and textiles.
The Maritime Industry Authority suspended the passenger ship safety certificate of MB Aya Express, while the PCG filed a complaint for syndicated estafa against its owner.
In early October, oil tanker Pacific Anna, registered in the Marshall Islands, rammed fishing boat “Dearyn” off Bajo de Masinloc, resulting in the death of three fishermen. Eleven others survived the incident.
‘ ‘123’:
Fire destroys PH iconic spots
The year 2023 was also marked by a loss in Philippine architecture and heritage as flames left the historic Manila Post Office “totally burned,” and damaged 7,000 national IDs as well.
READ: How the Manila Central Post Office made its mark in PH history
‘ ‘124’:
Authorities said the fire started past 11 p.m. on May 21 in the post office’s basement when a car battery exploded. Fire out was declared after more than 30 hours. The Manila Post Office said the reconstruction of the 97-year-old structure may take around two years.
In March, a fire also razed 1,700 stalls of the Baguio City Public Market, displacing at least 2,200 people, including 1,700 vendors who occupied the burned stalls and 500 vendors in the surrounding area. No casualties were reported.
Authorities said the fire began after a discarded lighted cigarette ignited a sack of clothes. The fire left around ₱24 million in damages.
Fatal bombing in Marawi
A bomb attack at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City left four people dead and 72 others injured on Dec. 3. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the deadly explosion, which happened during a Catholic mass service at the university gym.
‘ ‘125’:
Suspect Jafar Gamo Sultan alias Jaf/Kurot was arrested five days later, the military said. Other suspects identified were Kadapi Mimbesa and Arsani Membisa, who police said were members of the Dawlah Islamiyah Maute group.
