Just when we thought 2020 could not be tougher with the myriad of issues we faced throughout the year, November showed that there are other things that can get worse. That said, the end of this month also gave us a sliver of hope after numerous difficult events that could have easily made us quit.
Continuing on with questionable decisions and problematic actions dashed with a glimmer of hope, here’s a look back at what November 2020 had in store for us.
1. Typhoon triad wreaks havoc in the Philippines

(Photo by Vince Imperio/TomasinoWeb)
Barely recovered from the onslaught brought about by the strongest typhoon recorded in the world, Filipinos had to deal with two subsequent typhoons in Super Typhoon Rolly and Typhoon Ulysses, the latter causing almost equal damage to the super typhoon. At the end of October, Super Typhoon Rolly ravaged Luzon with strong winds, affecting the region of Bicol the most.
While the National Capital Region (NCR) did not suffer as severely as the Bicol region, strong winds and thunderstorms were felt even in the metro. This left countless families without homes and exposed to the continued risk of COVID-19. Typhoon Siony placed a roadblock on possible relief efforts, which further lengthened the calvary that Filipinos had to endure in the aftermath of the super typhoon. Agriculture was also severely affected, causing major loss of livelihood for those who lived in the areas most damaged by the typhoon.
The worst was yet to come, however, as Typhoon Ulysses brought strong winds and flooding to Metro Manila and Cagayan. Major outages in communication, electricity, and water also occurred which further strained rescue and relief operations by government and non-government organizations.
To this day, the effects of the typhoon continue to be felt as public and private companies try to restore the infrastructures that were severely damaged by the winds and the floods.
2. As typhoons batter the Philippines, Filipinos look for Duterte

Photo courtesy of Inquirer.net
President Duterte received major criticisms from Filipinos online following his lack of presence in the midst of Typhoon Ulysses. In a later statement, his office said that he was currently delivering a speech to the 37th ASEAN Summit, which was held virtually during the time of the typhoon. This statement left citizens dissatisfied with the president’s response in the face of a raging storm which left many in grave danger.
Public outrage also caused the hashtag #NasaanAngPangulo to trend nationwide during the typhoon. Netizens expressed their displeasure at the lack of leadership and communication from the national government as many families cried for help looking for rescue as their situations worsened. Even local governments tried to reach out to the national government as their own response teams have become severely overwhelmed with the damage that the typhoons have caused.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque then addressed this concern during the press briefing after the typhoon. He urged netizens to disregard the hashtag as the president was always with the Filipino people even in his silence during the calamity. This did not appease the netizens however as many expressed further disappointment with this remark with some even ridiculing the spokesperson for his statement.
3. President Duterte did not mince words for Vice President Robredo

(Photo by Toto Lazano/Manila Bulletin)
After being largely mum during the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses, President Duterte addressed the nation and immediately went on a fiery tirade against the efforts of Vice President Leni Robredo. He claimed that the Vice President’s actions were simply showboating or grandstanding after she contacted the rescue teams regarding the situation in Cagayan and other areas severely affected by Typhoon Ulysses. The president also warned her that he will expose her on the national stage should she decide to run for the presidency in 2022.
After the scathing tirade of the president, he went on to threaten the students of the University of the Philippines stating that he will defund the university should they continue to protest against his administration. This was after college students all over the country went on strike to not comply with their academic requirements until the government had properly addressed the situation in the country. The presidential spokesperson clarified in an interview later on that the president may have been misinformed regarding the protest.
Later on, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo issued an apology to Vice President Robredo regarding the accusations that the president had made, stating that the information was incorrectly given to the president. The President and the Palace, however, did not issue an apology to the vice president regarding the matter.
4. Body-shaming example in an educational material

Photo courtesy of the Philippine News Agency
What was believed to be a part of a DepEd module made its rounds on social media after an example was seen body-shaming actress Angel Locsin. The example in question was found as part of a learning material for a MAPEH class where the actress was described as an obese woman who had an unhealthy lifestyle that must not be emulated by the students.
Netizens on social media were also quick to point out the poor grammar shown in the example. It was later found out to be a module specific only to a certain teacher and was not found in other materials made by DepEd. The module was part of a learning material in Occidental Mindoro with the teacher in question due to face sanction for the oversight.
DepEd was quick to issue an apology for the scenario. While Angel Locsin shrugged off the insensitive example, she commented that teachers should be more mindful of the contents they place in their modules as this can greatly influence the behavior of the students when they’re older.
5. NCRPO Chief Debold Sinas appointed as new PNP Chief

Photo courtesy of the National Capital Region Police Office
Last November 6, now-PNP Chief Debold Sinas was appointed into his new position after it had been vacated. This came as a surprise after Sinas found himself caught in a controversy in May as he was part of a “mañanita” despite quarantine restrictions.
Criticisms quickly came after this decision. But prior to it, President Duterte had come to Sinas’ defense after the public demanded for his termination due to his violation. The president was adamant to have him stay in his post as he declared him to be a “good officer” and a “honest man”. Sinas also pleaded with the public to forget the entire incident after social media posts about his “mañanita” rose again with the news of his appointment.
Sinas’ appointment was also controversial as he was a large contributor to the human rights violations committed under the administration’s war on drugs. This article even notes that it was under his leadership where an increase in violence was observed.
6. Cries for an academic break

(Photo by Angie de Silva/Rappler)
In light of the recent calamities that struck the country, calls for an academic break were demanded by student activists. This is due to families of students and teachers alike needing time to recover physically, emotionally, financially, and mentally with all the stresses given not just by the typhoons that battered the country, but also by the persisting pandemic.
Student activists also demanded for accountability from the government regarding the shortcomings in handling the calamities that have happened and the current pandemic. Academic institutions, including the University of Santo Tomas, eventually agreed to suspend classes for a week to help university staff and students recover and prepare themselves to face the challenges of online learning.
Ultimately, the Commission on Higher Education and the national government rejected the idea of a unilateral suspension with the former stating that these decisions are better suited for local government units and the administrators of the universities.
7. Youth take action to aid typhoon victims

Photo grabbed from the official page of UST Central Student Council
With the serious effects of the calamity, students and other individuals have taken it upon themselves to conduct their own efforts in helping those severely affected. As the damage caused by the typhoons became more and more apparent, social media pages became flooded with donation drives intended to assist the relief operations conducted by the government and private organizations.
Students worked in tandem with organizations and government offices, such the Office of the Vice President, in collecting monetary and in-kind donations. Some even exercised their creativity and resourcefulness by using different approaches such as raffles, exchanging services such as art commissions, and selling pre-loved items. All the proceeds were directed to the relief efforts for the communities in need.
Transparency reports behind these efforts have shown how successful they were, exhibiting the essence of bayanihan amidst the pandemic where social distancing measures have limited interactions. However, it also shows the unfortunate reality of Filipinos having to rely largely on themselves to survive the neverending flurry of natural calamities our country is known to have.
8. COVID-19 vaccine on the horizon

Photo by Dado Ruvic from Reuters via Interaksyon
It’s been 8 months since the world was placed in some form of lockdown to protect it against the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. With vaccine development at a historically rapid pace, the light at the end of the tunnel has never been brighter as stated by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom. Efficacy reports have come out from numerous pharmaceutical companies with the success rate being between 70% and 90%.
With these findings, the Philippine government had been busy trying to secure doses to be administered to those at highest risk. The Philippine vaccine czar has recently secured a deal with AstroZeneca for 2 million doses of their vaccine once it completes further trials. The national government aims to vaccinate 20 million Filipinos to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and achieve herd immunity, which they aim to achieve by December of this year.
These developments in vaccination paints a hopeful picture of a better 2021 with a higher sense of normalcy than the one we’ve had this year. If all goes to plan, the Filipino people and the world will hopefully be able to wake up from the bad dreams that are 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic.
November, much like previous months of the year, has been a roller-coaster of emotions. While we sit at home trying to make the most of this 8-month quarantine, we’ve had a front-seat view of the problems that have plagued our country for decades. Government shortcomings and unfortunate circumstances continue to be at the forefront of news headlines making it that much easier to be cynical and apathetic with what’s going on around us.
Nonetheless, if this month ever taught us anything, it’s that we continue to look out for one another no matter the hardships we go through. November showed us that we have the ability to still support each other while still demanding accountability for the things our government owes us. Only time will tell if the last month of 2020 will continue to give us hope for the next year or if we’ll be expecting much of the same come January.
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