2010 IN REVIEW: NEWS THAT MADE THE HEADLINES

There were a lot of happenings in the past year for the Philippines. Some were bad, some were good and others really endearing. Here are the top 10 headliners for the year 2010.

1. Manila Hostage Crisis
- August 23, 2010. This is definitely the worst day for the Philippines in 2010. A hostage taking blown out of proportions and even broadcasted all throughout the world. It has shown how incompetent our police force is and that they can't handle a simple hostage crisis situation. It broke national TV records for being the most watched hours in 2010. It is painful to watch but I do hope we have learned our lessons. Travel advisories here and there were released to the Philippines putting our country on the hot seat anew.

2. Maria Venus Raj Bags 4th Runner-up
- While most were disappointed to see Venus only take the 4th runner-up, it was still a day of pride for the Philippines. Fresh from the hostage crisis days back, it was good news as the Philippines has once more been noticed in the beauty pageant arena. Never mind if there's the endless jokes on Venus' "Major, Major" answer. She's still a winner.

3. P-Noy Wins Presidential Race
- I personally did not vote for Noynoy but still this is a defining moment for the Philippines. For our country who is eagerly waiting to be taken off the hands of GMA, any new leader is very much welcome. And considering the political roots of Noy, Filipinos were expecting that he can somehow revive the ailing Philippine condition. So far, so good. I guess we, Filipinos need to just trust in the government now and do our small ways in helping. He can't do it all alone after all.

4. Charice Conquers Hollywood
- Filipina singer Charice makes her mark felt in the busy confines of Hollywood. With her debut album reaching No. 8 in the Billboard charts and the remix of "Pyramid" topping the dance charts, she was destined for greatness. Concerts here and there with David Foster and a host of other gigs made her a busy bee. And let's not forget, she landed a recurring role in the series "Glee" and did wowed a lot of viewers on her rendition of "Listen" at the season 2 premiere. Truly remarkable.

5. Hubert Webb Gets Acquited
- For whatever reasons, I still could not swallow this news. Why did it take more than a decade before the court makes a decision that Webb and company were not guilty of the Vizconde massacre. This is unbelievable for both parties. I am not taking sides but this shows how bad our justice system is. If it is indeed true that Hubert is innocent, imagine the long years he lost serving a sentence he should have not been given the first place. And let's not forget Lauro Vizconde. Truly painful!

6. La Salle Bar Exam Bombing
- I still can't fathom why some people would do stupid stuff that in the end can hurt a lot of people. The La Salle bombing incident surely has shown how some people don't think of their actions. I truly hope due justice is given to this case much so with the the people affected.

7. Failed Tourism Logo
- "Pilipinas Kay Ganda" have all the markings of a failure. The Tourism's new logo cost a lot and it did not even get pushed. I personally don't like the idea. It's like a title of a new "morning show" or a "game show" not a tourism catch phrase. There's nothing wrong with the current "Wow, Philippines" campaign. So why fix something that ain't broken?

8. The New Philippine Peso Bills
- I never thought this one would really come up nice. At first I was hesitant to see such changes but this one's definitely for the better. Our new bills have a strong Filipino being. With the national heroes in front and Pinoy sceneries and landmarks at the back. Plus I like its vivid colors matching those of Thailand and Malaysia's bills. I actually have a PHP 20 bill with me that I don't want to use right now!

9. Carlos Celdran, The Church and the RH Bill
- One other topic that just can't seem to die is the issue on the Reproductive Health Bill. One of the people who are very vocal of their support is David Celdran who later on got a feud with the church and was even filed with complaints. I have a take on this issue. Isn't there a separation of church and state? Why does the church keep on meddling with stuff like bills and laws?

10. Air Asia Comes To The Philippines
- Air Asia, a renowned budget class carrier has finally announced that they will be having an Air Asia Philippines. It's gonna be their third affiliate after Thailand and Indonesia. The arrival of the Malaysia-based carrier would surely be a welcome development for Philippine travellers who are always on the look for cheaper travel deals.

Credits: Yahoo News, PH Star, MB, PDI