Google Philippines' top searches for 2011

Internet giant Google has announced its annual “Zeitgeist” (German for “the spirit of the times”), which takes a look at 2011’s major events and hottest trends based on searches conducted in Google.com.ph.



Gadgets galore

The Apple bug has bitten the country as Pinoys searched for various Apple products this year. Topping the gadgets list is the second generation of the company’s tablet, iPad. Other Apple products such as the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 also figured prominently in the list.

Samsung products also gained ground in the country, with its Android-powered Samsung Galaxy products, which include Samsung Galaxy Tab, Samsung Galaxy S and S II, and Samsung Galaxy Note.

Blackberry and Nokia fans did not allow themselves to be left out, with searches on Blackberry Torch and Curve, as well as Nokia E5 and C3.

1. iPad 2 2. Samsung Galaxy 3. iPhone 5 4. Blackberry Torch 5. Nokia E5 6. iPhone 4 7. Blackberry Curve 8. Samsung Champ 9. Nokia C3 10. Samsung Corby

Game on

Strategy game Defense of the Ancients, or most commonly known as DotA, was the top most searched game in the country, followed by Pokemon Deluge, a Web-based role-playing game (RPG).

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) were also popular with Pinoys, as they searched for games such as campus-based MMORPG RAN Online, FPS game WarRock, fantasy-themed MMORPGs GodsWar, Rakion, RF, and Maya MU.

Angry Birds, which is offered in the Chrome Web Store, was searched abundantly by as well.

1. DotA 2. Pokemon deluge 3. Ran Online 4. Angry Birds 5. Rakion 6. Chaos Faction 2 7. RF 8. Maya MU 9. WarRock 10. GodsWar Online

This year’s Zeitgeist for the Philippines underscored Pinoys’ interest in the tragedies and political scandals that rocked the country.

Former Batangas governor, Antonio Leviste, topped searches for local news makers, as Filipinos followed the news of his violation of the sleep-out privileges in prison.



Other notable personalities who topped searches included ABS-CBN actor AJ Perez, who was killed in a car accident, and former Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Angelo Reyes, who committed suicide.

Typhoons Chedeng and Pedring, which brought floods to Metro Manila and other provinces, also topped news searches as Pinoys followed their progress and resultant devastation online.

Other major news stories that grabbed attention this year included the postponement of the elections and the ongoing peace talks in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).



Despite the tragedies, Pinoys also celebrated the triumphs of their fellow countrymen. Most-searched Filipinos included boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, who retained his WBO Welterweight Championship after a nail-biting showdown against Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas, and Shamcey Supsup, who won third runner-up in the Miss Universe 2011 pageant.

Another local news maker that topped searches was Heidi Mendoza, a former Commission on Audit (COA) auditor, who courageously exposed the corruption of Major General Carlos Garcia.

The fastest rising search terms this year showed the growing interest in the popular game Angry Birds and the social networking site Facebook.

“Planking” also made the list of fastest rising searches and became one of the hottest trends in the Philippines this year, even inspiring a traffic-stopping protest against rising oil prices in Manila in September.

As economies around the world remained sluggish, bargain-loving Pinoys stayed ahead of the curve with discounts and deals on sites like Cash Cash Pinoy and Ensogo Philippines.



But Pinoys also found the time to relax with searches for Airphil Express ranking high, and the white sands of Anawangin, Zambales topping the list of local travel destinations.

Other popular destinations this year included Corregidor, Sagada, Isabela and the islands of Batanes, showing that Pinoys are interested in more than just the sun and sea. — Newsbytes.ph