What would you consider the biggest news of 2008?

Eduardo Solano, Metro Manila: I would consider the worldwide financial crisis as the biggest news of 2008. This crisis has crippled many of the world’s greatest economies.  

Girlie Esteves, Baguio City :The victory of Manny Pacquiao over Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz and Oscar dela Hoya were the biggest news of this year. It made Filipinos feel that this year is full of good news.  

Election of Barack Obama

Felix Ramento, Manila: The biggest news of 2008 is Sen. Barack Obama’s election and historic claim to being the first African-American president, capped by the Americans’ resounding pride in having its first black President.  

Jim Veneracion, Naga City :The big news of 2008 is the election of Barack Obama as the first US black president. This marks the full integration of blacks into the American way of life.  

Ruel Bautista, Laguna : Rewriting the history of one of the most powerful country in the world was next to impossible until Obama won the US presidential elections.  

Eufrocino Linsangan, Isabela: That the Americans and the world welcomed Barack Obama, the first black president of America, is for me the biggest news of 2008.  

Oliver Salazar, Metro Manila :Barack Obama being elected as US president is the biggest news in the whole world in 2008.  

June Deoferio, Cavite :The presidential elections in US, which was won by Barack Obama, the first black President, and who defeated a white candidate in a landslide victory.  

Mel Caparas, Manila :The election of Barack Obama, the first African-American to become President of the United States, is no doubt the biggest news of 2008.  

Manny Cordeta, Marikina City :Without batting an eyelash, it is Barack Obama’s snaring the US presidential elections last November 4, etching his name in history as the first African-American black president. Climaxing it was Time Magazine’s naming this history-maker as Person of the Year for 2008. Not to be outdone  and as the whole boxing world knows  is the stunning upset win of our very own Manny Pacquiao over the heavily favored Oscar dela Hoya of Mexico in Las Vegas. Although unofficial, “Pacman” is now highly regarded as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter. The US basketball team, successfully making good its vow to regain its lost glory by winning the gold medal in the Beijing Summer Olympics, rightfully deserves a second look and a share of the honors.   

Concepcion Gaspar, Laoag City :Globally, it’s the US economic crisis, which adversely affected us worldwide. Next is Obama’s history-making victory as America’s first black President.  

Dino Monzon, Caloocan City :Internationally, it’s a toss-up between the landslide victory of US president Barack Obama and the global financial crisis. Locally, it’s Manny Pacquiao’s win over dela Hoya.  

A world in crisis

Leandro Tolentino, Batangas City: It’s the US financial bailout, which triggered all countries in the world to adopt some economic safety nets for the expected global recession in 2009.  Robert Young Jr., San Juan :The US economic meltdown could be the biggest news of the decade. Greed drove financial institutions to extend subprime mortgages to millions of Americans who couldn’t afford them, netting bankers hundreds of millions in bonuses. It affected even gigantic institutions like Citigroup, the AIG Group, Goldman Sachs and many others throughout the world. Financial markets have crashed; stocks have continuously nosedived. The world economy is in a recession. It took 24 years before the American economy recovered from the Great Depression of 1929; how many years will it take to recover from the present one?  

Johann Lucas, Quezon City: I see the global financial crisis as the biggest news of 2008, since many First World countries are suffering too much from dealing with it.  

William Gonzaga, Marikina City :It would have to be the global financial meltdown initiated by the collapse of the largest American investment firms.  

Ricardo Tolentino, Laoag City: The global economic meltdown, which made the rich poor and turned the poor into paupers.  

Rey Ibalan, Antipolo City: It’s the financial meltdown, which ravaged global economies. The nosedive of fuel costs is good news.  

C.B. Fundales, Bulacan :The US financial crisis tops my list for its vast international impact. It’s a disaster that caught everyone napping as it hit the world’s economies.  

Gerry del Cano, Muntinlupa City :Top news: The US recession and the global economic slowdown.  

Joe Nacilla, Las Piñas City: The year 2008 can be described as the “panic year”. Many sad events happened during this year, both foreign and local. On the foreign side is the death of US giants like Lehman Brothers, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to mention a few, that resulted in the global financial crisis. We also had the first black US president and the selling of the Senate seat vacated by Obama. On the local front, we have the ZTE deal, euro generals, and idiot lawmakers pushing for Cha-cha and the many other ideas from these political clowns.  

Fuel prices going up

Rico Fabello, Parañaque City :The rise in fuel prices and the decline in traffic woes.  

Rudy Tagimacruz, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon: The biggest news of 2008 was the extraordinary cost of oil because it hit us where it hurts most.  

The failed MOA-AD

Joel Caluag, Bulacan: It’s the failed MOA-AD with the MILF. If I had my way, I’d line up PGMA, Esperon, Garcia and Dureza on the wall.  

Manny Pacquiao’s victories

Dennis Acop, Baguio City: On the positive side, the biggest news for 2008 is Manny Pacquiao’s conquest of David Diaz and Oscar dela Hoya. On the negative side, the biggest news is Philippine corruption, courtesy of the Arroyos! There is nothing wrong with making the news, but it’s awfully wrong when one is in the news for all the wrong reasons. It’s good for us when the world sees Pacman demystifying dela Hoya, but it is likewise bad for us Filipinos every time the world hears of corruption again in the Philippines. I have a feeling that the good and bad news for 2008 will be repeated in 2009.  

Benjamin Nillo, Las Piñas City :For me, the biggest news of 2008 is Manny Pacquiao’s sensational eight-round TKO win over the much taller Oscar de la Hoya.  

Elpidio Que, Vigan: Be it a fixed fight, as some quarters suspect, the best news in 2008 should be Manny Pacquiao’s turning the Golden Boy into a marshmallow. It made us a very proud nation. We are branded a champion nation in corruption, but with Manny’s TKO of Oscar, we are now a nation with a true gladiator champion.  

Gerard Ortigas, Iloilo City :The biggest news of 2008 would be Manny Pacquiao’s victory over Oscar dela Hoya.  

Pedro Alagano Sr., Vigan City :The win of Manny Pacquiao over Oscar de la Hoya must be considered the biggest news of 2008, due to the immense pride and glory he has brought to our country. His rags-to-riches story is factual, and it’s amazing and worthy of emulation.  

Rodolfo Talledo, Angeles City: On the lighter side, it’s Pacman’s victory over dela Hoya. The global economic meltdown is the most disappointing.  

Leonard Villa, Laoag City: The top story for 2008 is the Pacquiao-Dela Hoya fight. It was a unifying factor for Filipinos and it electrified and wowed us and it will be remembered for a long time.  

Dave Velasco, Marinduque: The “mismatch” fight of Pacman, the underdog, versus Golden Boy. I consider this top news because of its global promotion.  

Manuel Abejero, Pangasina:  Considering the amount of money involved, the coverage and the millions who watched the fight, and yes, even the international and local big shots who attended the Pacman’s birthday-cum-victory party, it’s Pacman himself. Even his ambivalence to run where, what and against who makes a mountain out of a molehill.  

Never-ending clamor for PGMA to resign

Eddie Yap, Kabankalan City :The biggest news of 2008 is the never-ending clamor of the opposition for PGMA to resign. They are so obsessed with her resignation that all her accomplishments and good works are misinterpreted as a ploy to prolong her presidency. But has anyone ever imagined the chaos that would follow if PGMA immediately left her post?  

Tragedy at sea

Rose Leobrera, Manila: It’s the US financial meltdown. Everybody is going gaga over what is happening to them. Tayo, immune na, as we’ve been suffering for so long. Another headliner for the year are the sea tragedies, which can be avoided but the maritime industry relies mostly on information from Pag-ASA. On international cruises, traveling by sea is safer, because ships can tell if a typhoon is on their path. When that happens, the ship takes another route, para hindi masalubong ang bagyo.  

Rey Onate, Palayan City: The sinking of the Princess of the Stars; Pacquiao winning over dela Hoya; binato ng sapatos si Bush!  

Best and worst

C.K. Yeo, Iloilo City: Best news of 2008: Beijing Olympics, Obama’s being the first black US President, Pacquiao defeating Dela Hoya. Worst news of 2008: US financial meltdown, China melamine scare, RP’s being the most corrupt nation in Asia.  

Scandals and exposés

Gerii Calupitan, Muntinlupa City: The $50-billion scam of Bernard Madoff, which made Tibayan-Mateo, Baladjay, Agrix, Joc-Joc’s P728 million fertilizer scam, etc. chickenfeed in comparison, as Boo Chanco’s “Impressionable Elites” (Dec. 19) said. I know intelligent people who fell for the scam that bilked a lot of social climbing Pinoys a lot of money. My cousin, who sings in hotels, met most of the Franc Swiss investors in these exquisite venues.  

Renato Taylan, Ilocos Norte :The biggest news of 2008 is the biggest joke on us: The fertilizer fund scam involving former DA Undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante.  

Maryjane Pilangaseo, Benguet: Locally, it’s Jun Lozada’s exposé on the fertilizer scam. Internationally, it’s Obama winning the presidential elections in the US.  Cesar Mogol, Muntinlupa

I would consider the ZTE scandal and economic crisis the biggest news of the year.  

News that made an impact

I.Q. Calata, Parañaque City: For the world: The US financial meltdown and Obama being the next US president. For the Philippines: The biggest news in 2008 came in several equally important terms. In terms of global impact, there were three: The rise to $147 per barrel of oil and the fall to the current $31 in the US; the financial meltdown in the US leading to the global recession; and Barack Obama’s victory in the US presidential elections. In terms of local news, there were the following: The irritating NBN-ZTE imbroglio that had no clear closure after all the drama in the Senate and on the streets; the Reproductive Health Bill that now threatens the moral landscape of this mostly Catholic nation.  

A mixed bag

L.C. Fiel, Quezon City: It’s a mixed bag: Bhutto’s killing, Ces Drilon and company’s kidnapping, JDV’s ouster, Joc-Joc’s return, the Moscow scandal, financial meltdown, Obama’s win and Pacman’s win over the Golden Boy.  

C.B. Manalastas, Manila: Worldwide financial crisis; Pacquiao’s win over dela Hoya, which elicited worldwide attention among boxing aficionados; the US presidential elections.  

Nick Ocampo, Angeles City: The biggest news of 2008 are the Pacquiao-dela Hoya fight, the fertilizer fund scam and the US recession.  

Imee Aglibot, Rizal: The biggest newsmaker for 2008 is the US  from its economic slowdown, which hit the world like wildfire, to having its first black President, to the shoe-throwing incident involving Pres. Bush in Iraq. Here in RP, we are scam-laden the whole year through. We have the ZTE-NBN, Bolante show, ousters of top officials, MOA-AD, impeachments and the sensational euro-generals capped by endless investigations. On a happy note, we were treated by Manny Pacquiao to international stardom via his boxing feat. On calamities, there was quite a number worldwide, but nothing beats China’s tainted milk scandal as this was a man-made disaster directly aimed at infants!  

Views expressed in this section do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The STAR. The STAR does not knowingly publish false information and may not be held liable for the views of readers exercising their right to free expression. The publication also reserves the right to edit contributions to this section as it sees fit.

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