1984 in the Philippines

1984 in the Philippines details events of note that happened in the Philippines in the year 1984.

Decades:

Incumbents

Ferdinand E.
Marcos Sr.

Cesar A.
Virata

Nicanor E.
Yñiguez

Enrique M.
Fernando

Events

January

January 27 – National and local plebiscites are held for the approval of the proposed constitutional amendments and local bills made by the Interim Batasang Pambansa.
January 31 – Huge rally against the Presidency and dishonest governance of Ferdinand Marcos held by supporters of Ninoy Aquino attended by around 25,000 people which resulted in a crackdown by Constabulary forces.^[1]

May

May 14 – Parliamentary elections are held. The opposition runs for the Regular Batasang Pambansa under the United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO) and the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP–Laban) against the ruling Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) of Ferdinand Marcos. The KBL wins a majority with 114 seats, but markedly down from 163 seats last election.

August

August 11 – Three armed pirates attack skippered passenger boat Tampil, with a Semporna, Malaysia–Pulau Sitangkai route, off Pulau Bulu-Bulu in Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi, kill 33 of 51 people aboard, and kidnap three.^[2]

September

September 1 – Typhoon Nitang strikes the Philippines. It kills 1,492 people and 1,856 more are injured. Roughly 1.6 million people are affected in the country. A total of 108,219 homes are destroyed and 142,653 more are damaged.^[3] However, President Ferdinand Marcos declared a state of calamity only after Nitang's onslaught.

October

October 23 – A fire destroys Pines Hotel, a hillside hotel in Baguio;^[4] killing 17–22 people,^[5]^[6] nine of them members of the American Legion tour group which has been commemorating the 1944 return of Gen. Douglas MacArthur to the country.^[7]

November

November 1 and 9 – Two separate hotel fires occur in Manila. The first breaks out at the Ambassador Hotel, a tourist hotel in Ermita, causing deaths of ten or eleven people.^[8] Eight days later, another engulfs a part of the Las Palmas Hotel, killing at least six, three of them foreigners.^[6]

December

December 1 – Manila LRT Line 1 is opened.

Holidays

Letter of Instruction No. 1087, issued by President Marcos in 1980 that provided revised guidelines for observation of holidays, remained in effect. The letter strictly mandated that when a legal holiday fell on a Sunday, only a proclamation was required to declare the following Monday a special public holiday.^[9]

A day before the Filipino-American Friendship Day on July 4, Marcos issued Proclamation No. 2364 declaring that day as a regular working and school day, citing economic problems;^[10] the first time in the post-colonial period.^[11]

Legal public holidays

January 1 – New Year's Day
April 19 – Maundy Thursday
April 20 – Good Friday
May 1 – Labor Day
May 6 – Araw ng Kagitingan (Bataan, Corregidor and Besang Pass Day)
June 12 – Independence Day
August 26 – National Heroes Day
November 30 – Bonifacio Day
December 25 – Christmas Day
December 30 – Rizal Day

Nationwide special holidays

Entertainment and culture

July 9 – Maria Desiree Verdadero is proclaimed 3rd runner-up in the Miss Universe 1984 pageant night was held in the James L Knight Center, Miami Beach, Florida, United States.

Sports

July 28–August 2 – The Philippines participates in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States.^[12]

Births

January 6 – Jared Dillinger, basketball player
January 12 – Oyo Boy Sotto, actor and model
January 19:
- Kelvin dela Peña, basketball player
- Xiao Chua, historian, academic and television host
January 20 – Toni Gonzaga, singer, television host and actress
January 21:
- Richard Gutierrez,^[13] actor and commercial model
- Raymond Gutierrez, actor and television host
January 24 – Jasmin "DJ Jasmin" Basar, disc jockey, voice actress, and model (d. 2019)
February 11 – Jeff Chan, basketball player
February 14 – John Prats, actor, comedian, and dancer
March 6 – Sol Mercado, basketball player
March 14 – Paolo Contis, actor
March 16 – Michael Roy Jornales, actor, model, martial artist, fight, director, and singer
March 21 – Via Antonio, actress
March 23 – Ryan Araña, basketball player
March 28 – Joseph Bitangcol, actor,.TV Host
April 3 – Antoinette Jadaone, film director * April 22 – Raymond "Emong" Quodala Vallarta, Philanthropist
May 7 – Vandolph Quizon, actor, model
May 18 – Aleck Bovick, actress, model, and singer
May 19 – Ken Bono, basketball player
May 23 – Sam Milby, Filipino-American actor, commercial model, and recording artist
May 25 – Junjun Cabatu, basketball player
May 29 - Chubi del Rosario, Actor, Host and Singer
June 4 – Gretchen Fullido, anchor and model
June 29 – Paula Peralejo, actress and model
July 9 – LA Tenorio, basketball player
July 16 – Ginger Conejero, journalist and television personality
July 19 – Alessandra De Rossi, actress
July 24 – Bubbles Paraiso, actress, model
August 12 – Marian Rivera,^[14] commercial model and actress
August 18 – Sam Y.G., radio and television personality
August 23 – Eric Tai, actor, host, and rugby player
September 14 – Tyron Perez, actor, model (d. 2011)
September 17 - Mark Shandii Bacolod, Filipino director, producer and talent manager (d. 2022)
September 22 – Marcelito Pomoy, singer
September 27 – Macky Escalona, former basketball player
October 7 – Anna Larrucea, actress
October 24 - Lougee Basabas, Filipino singer and songwriter
November 13 – Dimples Romana, actress and television host
November 16 – Janelle Jamer actress model singer
November 19 – Janus del Prado, actor
November 20 – Daisy Lopez, actress and vlogger
November 23 – Gianna Lynn, actress, model-->
November 28 – Joross Gamboa, actor
November 29 – Sitti Navarro,^[15] Filipina bossa nova singer
December 8 – Hero Angeles, actor
December 10 – Krista Ranillo, Filipina actress
December 30 – Rico Barrera
December 31 – Marvin Cruz, basketball player

Deaths

February 10 – Claudia Zobel, Filipino actress
February 18 – Alejo Santos, Filipino soldier and World War II hero (b. 1911)
March 26 – Sergio Osmeña Jr., Filipino politician, former mayor of Cebu City
November 14 – Cesar Climaco, Filipino politician (b. 1916)