SUMMARY
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MANILA, Philippines – 2012 was crazy for both local and world news and we’ve got the photos to prove it. #Start2013Right and look back at the photographs that captured the year.
Here’s a heads up: We can’t blame you if you wouldn’t know which emotion to click on the Mood Meter. Photos do say a thousand words, after all.
Tragedy and disaster
One of the biggest stories in 2012 was the death of Interior and Local department secretary Jesse Robredo. Robredo passed away on August 18, 2012 when his plane crashed off Masbate province. Filipinos from all over grieved his untimely demise–from Nagauenos who loved him dearly to Filipinos who hadn’t even known Robredo.
2012 was also the year of superstorms and typhoons both here and abroad. Among the most devastating were Typhoon Pablo (international name: Bopha), which hit parts of Mindanao in the Philippines and Superstorm Sandy in the United States.
As of publishing, hundreds of thousands of Pablo survivors remain homeless and hungry. Find out how you can help through Rappler’s #TextToHelp campaign.
Social media and campaigns
Barack Obama made history in 2008 as the first Black US president. In 2012, he made political history again as the first American president to be re-elected during an economic slump. (One of the first problems he had to face as a re-elected president: the ‘fiscal crisis.’)
But what really blows our mind is Obama’s (and his team’s) masterful use of social media. His first tweet (and photo) after his victory made social media history by being the most retweeted and liked post on Twitter.
Four more years. twitter.com/BarackObama/st…
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 7, 2012
Here’s another, more recent, photo released by the Obama’s team. Nothing big going on here, just 3 of America’s most powerful people goofing around.
Back in the Philippines, social media was a witness to very heated debates on what was then the Reproductive Health Bill. In December, Congress and Malacanang did what legislators and Presidents from the last 14 years couldn’t do: turn it into a law.
It narrowly passed the House of Representatives on 2nd reading. Malacanang promptly certified the bill as urgent and few days after, both chambers of Congress passed the bill on 3rd and final reading. A few days before Christmas, President Benigno Aquino III signed the bill into law. (Read: RH law: The long and rough road)
The debate was especially taxing for the bill’s sponsors. In the months leading to its passage, they decried what they called “dirty tactics” from anti-RH bill legislators. So we can only imagine the kind of relief Senator Pia Cayetano and Representative Edcel Lagman felt when the bill was finally signed into law.
They’re not politicians but this young Hollywood super couple knows how to make the most out of their celebrity status. Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield were enjoying lunch when they realized paparazzi were lurking outside. What’s a celebrity to do?
The photo made its rounds on social media. How could you not share this photo? Thank you, Andrew and Emma, for giving us hope.
Not all social media campaigns are clear-cut. We’re still not sure how we should feel about this Undas gimmick by a local funeral home:
The year of ridiculously photogenic people
Who can forget Janine Tugonon, the Philippines’ bet for the 2012 Miss Universe competition? Janine did not come home with the crown (she was 1st runner-up. Not too bad!) but she captured our hearts and attention with that energizing smile and unforgettable walk.
Remember this guy from our first photo wRap ever? He’s Rafael Nunes, a former model turned homeless guy turned internet celebrity turned poster boy for the pitfalls of drug abuse. He’s more popularly known on the Internet as “ridiculously photogenic homeless guy.”
And of course, the guy who started it all: Ridiculouly Photogenic Guy aka Zeddie Little. (Click here to see the photo that started it all.)
Zeddie Little’s photo gave birth to a bunch of other “photogenic” memes. Among them, “Ridiculously Photogenic Syrian Rebel” and “Ridiculously Photogenic Surgery Girl.”
Animals can be ridiculously photogenic too, as proven by Ridiculously Photogenic Corgi:
All sorts of cute go viral
The corgi above is really just a way for us to introduce another theme in photos that defined 2012: ANIMALS! Domesticated, wild, baby, adult–all kinds, really.
BuzzFeed and CuteOverload also compiled list of the best (and cutest) animals of 2012. We’ll let the photos do the talking:
Read about BuzzFeed’s cuddly visitors here.
In case you haven’t noticed yet, the Rappler social media team has a thing for cute and cuddly creatures. This might be why: one study posits that viewing photos of baby animals can increase productivity and improve focus. It makes sense to us! Should we start a special section for cute animals?
And that’s a wRap for 2012 in photos. Did we miss out on any memorable photo from last year? Leave a comment below and let us know! -Bea Cupin, Rappler.com
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