2021 is a tough year for all of us.
With the continuing threat of the global pandemic, our lives are still far from being back to normal.
Still, many Filipinos found means to shy away from the adversities that we are now faced with.
And what makes us truly Pinoy is our ability to still laugh or smile and continue to live our lives despite the hardships that we are in.
We also share in the victories of our kababayans who made us proud because of what they’ve accomplished during the difficult times.
In celebration of the Philippines’ 123rd Independence Day, let’s pay tribute to some of the individuals and events that brought pride to our country this year and made us proud to say that we are Filipinos.
Rabiya Mateo
A native of Iloilo, Rabiya Mateo was the Philippines’ bet in the 69th Miss Universe pageant.
While she failed to bring home the crown and ended her stint in the pageant after she made it to the Top 21, Mateo completed her Miss Universe journey with no bitterness in her heart.
Mateo said she treasured her experience and the opportunity to represent the country in the international pageant.
Samantha Bernardo
Another pageant favorite was Samantha Bernardo. She won first-runner up in the 2020 Miss Grand International pageant that was held in Thailand last March 27.
Bernardo’s performance during the competition solicited massive support including those coming from Filipino communities around the globe.
Her achievement was a source of pride and joy for Filipinos during these trying times.
Cleevan Alegres
He made history as the first man to swim around Mactan Island.
Cebu’s Little Merman finished his 40-kilometer swim in 17 hours, 37 minutes, and 35 seconds.
Alegres, a 25-year old open water swimmer from Lapu-Lapu City, made his historic swim to also raise awareness on the ill effects of plastic pollution and to encourage recycling.
Trese
Netizens are beaming with pride with the recent launch of Netflix’s first Filipino animated series – Trese.
Based on the award-winning Filipino comic of the same title by writer Budjette Tan and artist Kajo Baldisimo, the series depicts our local culture and folklores that were passed from one generation to the next.
The series is truly Pinoy with its all Filipino cast doing the English and Tagalog dubs. These includes Liza Soberano who did the Tagalog dub and Darren Criss (American Crime Story), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place), and Dante Basco (Avatar: The Last Airbender) who did the English dub.
Blacklist International
Being the first Philippine representative in the upcoming Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup (MSC) 2021, Blacklist International has been receiving a lot of support from Filipino esports fans.
In their battle for victory, the esports label of Tier One Entertainment remains unscathed. The group nailed its spot in the upper bracket finals by besting the Malaysian squad RSG MY on Friday, June 11, 2021.
But with their fight still far from over, Blacklist is dead set on continuing to #BreakTheCode and is more than proud to represent the Philippines in the international esports scene.