The Philippine Online Chronicles

This year may have been a trial to many, but it was also a year for Filipinos to garner the highest honors in several fields, and for ordinary citizens to become – and be lauded as – heroes of the first order.

Indie films make it big

If there ever was a time when independent films as well as digital films were regarded by the public as low-quality flicks made by penniless amateurs, that time is now sure to be over.

The year 2009 was a great year for Filipino independent filmmakers. Several of their films garnered prestigious awards here and abroad, with some being recognized by more than one award-giving body.

Brillante Mendoza led the pack with multiple wins this year – he was named Best Director for Kinatay (The Execution of P) at the 62^nd Cannes International Film Festival, beating entertainment industry heavies such as Quentin Tarantino, who directed Inglorious Basterds, and Ang Lee, who helmed Taking Woodstock. Kinatay was also nominated for the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm Award), Cannes' “Best Film” award – unfortunately, the honor went to Austrian director Michael Haneke for Das Weisse Band (The White Ribbon). In October, Mendoza was once again named Best Director for Kinatay, which also won the Best Original Soundtrack award at the 42^nd Sitges International Film Festival in Spain.

Mendoza later went on to join the panel of judges of the 62^nd Film Festival Locarno in Switzerland. He also won the Best Director award at the 32^nd Gawad Urian in September. His achievements for 2009 didn't stop with Kinatay, however. His film Lola was named Muhr AsiaAfrica Best Feature Film by the 6^th Dubai International Film Festival jury in December.

Other auteurs who made their mark in the international scene the past year were Alvin Yapan with Ang Panggagahasa kay Fe (The Rapture of Fe), which topped the Digital Competition category of the 33^rd Cairo Film Festival; Mike Sandejas, director of Dinig Sana Kita (If I Knew What You Said) and Jon Steffan Ballesteros, director of Colorum, whose films bagged major awards in the Brussels International Independent Film Festival in Belgium (BIIFF).

Filipino athletes wow the world

Manny Pacquiao isn't the only Filipino athlete who came out on top this year – others did, too.

In the recently concluded Southeast Asian Games, the Philippines garnered a respectable medal count of 124, finishing at fifth place in the final tally. Filipino athletes were able to win 38 golds, 35 silvers and 51 bronzes.

While teenage chess sensation Wesley So bowed out in the 2009 World Chess Cup in December, he was able to impress older, higher-seeded players simply by beating the lot of them in matches this year. So, who is 59^th seed (ELO 2604), beat 27^th seed Gata Kamsky (ELO 2695) and sixth seed Vassily Ivanchuk (ELO 2739) in the World Chess Cup before he was routed by Vladimir Malakhov.

Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante also got their second World Cup of Pool title in September; Marvin Sonsona bagged the World Boxing Organizations flyweight belt; Brian Viloria and Nonito Donaire Jr. downed their Mexican foes in an April match at the Araneta Coliseum; Bernabe Concepcion became the World Boxing Council international featherweight title-holder; the Philippine Dragon Boat team won two gold medals at the 9^th World Dragon Boat Racing Championships; and teen netter Francis Casey Alcantara copped a prestigious doubles crown at the 20^th Mitsubishi Lancer International Tennis Championships and became the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam event – the Australian Open.

However, the old adage that sometimes victory can come with a price also came true this year for a Filipino athlete. Boxer Z Gorres won a spectacular 10-round decision victory versus Colombian Luis Melendez in a match arranged to be a prelude to that of Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. However, he suffered brain trauma after sustaining a direct hit to the head and remains hospitalized.

Volunteers band together

The effects of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng shocked the world. Torrential floods swept away houses, furniture and innocent bystanders. Water levels in the Metro rose to those not seen in four decades. Dams overflowed, emergency supplies ran out, and the government was hard-pressed to do something, anything, to alleviate the suffering.

Without the efforts of volunteers, the National Disaster Coordinating Council would have been in more trouble than it already was. Thanks to kind-hearted citizens, food was distributed, medical assistance and shelter provided, and rescue made possible.

Though they weren't able to solve everything, they did enough – without their help (via non-government organizations), casualties would probably have been higher and the aftermath of the typhoons a lot worse.

Students win in international tilts

Jose Rizal said the future of the country rests on the youth – if such is the case, then the Philippines seems to be in good hands.

In March, “Larry Labuyo,” the Philippines' lone entry to the For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition Hawaii Regional “helped the national squad garner the Rookie All Star and Highest Rookie Seed awards at the event and advance to the World Championships in April.”

Several young numbers whizzes garnered top honors in a prestigious international math contest in October, getting perfect and near-perfect scores. Julius Vincent Sy, a second-year student in St. Stephen's High School in Sta. Cruz, Manila, got a perfect score in the 2009 Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) while 13 others scored over 99.7 percent.

In November, the Philippine delegation to the Indonesia International Math and Science Olympiad for Primary Schools bagged 18 medals – one gold, five silvers and six bronzes for the Math category, and three silvers and three bronze medals for the Science category. The team placed fourth out of 10, after Indonesia, Singapore and Taiwan.

Citizen journalists, bloggers go for the truth

Using blogging and microblogging tools, as well as social networking sites, concerned citizens took the fight for righteousness to the Interweb.

Coverage of everything from the Book Blockade to the hoopla surrounding the alleged failure of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to distribute goods sent by foreign agencies to victims of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng were driven, in a large part, by bloggers and citizen journalists.

“Ella's blog,” for example, questioned whether donated goods actually were rotting in government warehouses, and if the efforts of volunteers were being maximized. While Ella's allegations were denied by DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral, the incident provoked dialogue between government and the citizenry, raised the importance of disclosure of public information, and emphasized that in times of calamity, everyone, most of all the government, must act quickly so more lives would be saved.

National catalyst: Corazon Aquino

While Corazon Aquino's death is definitely not to be considered a happy event, it sparked many things in local politics, and also relived the nationalistic fervor that infused the Filipino people in EDSA 1.

While people may argue as to her efficiency as president and her importance in history, she was the first female president and did, actually, manage quite well when she took the helm in the 1980s, considering her inexperience and the Marcos loyalists and government separatists arrayed against her.

She will be remembered, and honored as well, by the people she left behind.

Trailblazing educator: Efren Penaflorida Jr.

Efren Penaflorida Jr. was cited by CNN and the Philippine government for Kariton Klasrum, his alternative education project. According to reports, he is the “first Filipino to become a nominee of the annual CNN Heroes awards and the first Filipino to win the top prize.”

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