Here are the viral stories that created a buzz in 2021

2021 marks the second year of the coronavirus pandemic. In many ways, it has been more challenging than the first year—everyone is feeling exhausted, lonely, and mentally drained from a difficult situation that has gone on for too long.

Nevertheless, Filipinos still found ways to laugh, have fun, and help each other amid the pandemic. Have a look at the viral stories that served as bursts of entertainment, inspiration, and solidarity the past year.

1. Ellen Adarna’s savage love advice

Before confirming her relationship with Derek Ramsay and eventually marrying the actor on Nov. 11, Ellen Adarna began 2021 on the Twitter trends list with her unfiltered relationship advice to the internet.

The actress held a Q&A on Instagram where she fielded queries on love and dating in Bisaya, but some netizens translated them to Tagalog so everyone can understand the tea!

Ellen answered the questions with the same energy she and Derek had on their wedding vows—no holds barred. For example, when someone asked whether it’s ok to snoop into your boyfriend’s phone, she said: "Only crazy, insecure, and ugly b*tches do that. So no."

2. Lawyer accidentally turns on cat filter on Zoom.

Zoom mishaps have become part and parcel of pandemic life as many events and processes had to be conducted online.

Oftentimes the boo-boos are connected to filters—some people unknowingly turn on harmless but NSFW filters, such as this lawyer in the United States who appeared on a virtual court proceedings as a cute blue-eyed kitten.

When the judge pointed out that his filter seemed to be turned on, the lawyer, Attorney Rod Ponton, explained that his assistant was trying to fix the problem and said: "I'm here live, I'm not a cat." Needless to say, the internet found the episode hilarious.

3. Mel Tiangco jokingly hailed the ‘first Pinay on Mars’

The "24 Oras" studio occasionally transforms its look based on the news item reported by its anchors. Sometimes it employs simple effects, but other times, the changeover involves the whole background, making it look like the anchor is in a totally different scene.

This was what happened when GMA News pillar Mel Tiangco introduced a segment about the landing of the Perseverance rover on Mars. As the studio transformed into the Red Planet, an animated rover was dropped on the ground by a flying vehicle and swooped in front of Tita Mel.

She trended online shortly after as netizens quickly made memes from the image of her "anchoring live from Mars." Another Twitter user quipped: "Congrats po Tita Mel as kauna-unahang Pinay sa Mars" and added the hashtag #proudpinoy.

4. The rise of the community pantries

When the country entered strict lockdown anew as the COVID-19 cases spiked in April, one woman took it upon herself to extend some help to people in need. With livelihoods once again disrupted by the pandemic, Ana Patricia Non put up a small "community pantry" in Maginhawa, Quezon City, filling it with some food supplies such as canned goods and fresh vegetables.

She also placed a sign which said, "Magbigay ayon sa kakayahan, kumuha batay sa pangangailangan." The concept became a hit and not long after, it became a movement as other areas set up their own community pantries where people can take what they need and give back other things they have in excess.

The initiative was hailed by many for awakening the bayanihan spirit of Filipinos in times of hardship. A Quezon City councilor filed a resolution to honor Ana Patricia and her dedication to help others amid the pandemic.

5. Olivia Culpo’s confused face at the 69th Miss Universe pageant

Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo, who hosted the Miss Universe pageant in May, unwittingly became a meme after netizens caught her facial expressions during the announcement of winners at the coronation.

Her “confused” face went viral as pageant fans related to her “mood.” Olivia later explained she was just concentrating hard on reading the winners correctly—likely thinking about Steve Harvey’s mistake in the 2015 pageant.

Nonetheless, the beauty queen was a good sport and even made memes herself, sharing a screenshot of her face on Instagram and adding witty captions. Check out this gold: “Me reading Twitter this morning.”

6. Food delivery rider excited to bring your BTS meals.

When the BTS meal became available in the Philippines, business suddenly boomed for food delivery riders. One rider was so happy to deliver BTS meals that he posted on his Facebook account encouraging fans to keep the orders coming.

Needless to say, the ARMYs took notice and appreciated his gesture, which came amid homophobic posts from other riders about the BTS meal and the K-Pop group. The fans did what they do best and came together to quickly raise over PHP45,000 as a thank-you.

The rider, Benjamin Baetiong, was surprised that his post went viral and even more so that he got some much-needed financial assistance from BTS fans.

7. ‘Trese’ fan-made edits

Filipinos were excited to have the country’s first ever anime series on Netflix when “Trese” dropped on the streaming giant in June. But fans were not content to just sit back and watch the show—they tapped into their creative juices and added their own twist to the material!

One fan painstakingly edited the trailer using the voice of Glaiza de Castro, a longtime favorite of comic book fans to play a live action version of Alexandra Trese. Using clips from her portrayal of Pirena in “Encantadia,” Bazty Orca created an absolute fire version of the trailer which went viral.

Another fan dubbed the trailer in Bekimon, a hilarious take that included a reference to Janice de Belen’s 1988 horror film “Tiyanak.” Professional voice actress Inka Magnaye also tried her hand at voicing the Babaylan Mandirigma.

8. ‘Hidilyn, my friend!’ Ronnie Henares reacts to ‘Pepito Manaloto’ meme.

Hidilyn Diaz winning the country’s first ever gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics was a viral moment in itself, but the good cheer lasted long after her historic victory.

When pledges in cash and in kind started pouring in to reward the star weightlifter, netizens made a meme out of “Pepito Manaloto” character Tommy Diones played by Ronnie Henares. Tommy’s line, “Pepito, my friend!” became “Hidilyn, my friend!”

Ronnie gamely hopped on the bandwagon, sharing his own meme about asking Hidilyn for a balato.

9. Lolo, 66, lands call center job after 12 rejections.

Finding a job is not easy. Sometimes it can take you through tons of applications and interviews before you can get an offer, and the process is draining even for energetic Millennials and Gen Z.

But Willy Batucan, 66, handled it like a champ. The senior citizen experienced 12 rejections before finally landing a job as a call center agent.

When he purchased an office table for him to use at home, the online seller was wowed that he is still working at his age and shared his story online, where it quickly inspired many netizens.

10. Nursing student helps passenger in need of medical attention mid-flight.

When medical emergencies happen in a plane at 30,000 feet in the air, the standard procedure for the crew is to look for a doctor on board. This was what happened on James Vincent Sayson’s flight to Canada back in September.

James is studying nursing, so when no one stepped forward to help the passenger in need of medical attention, he volunteered his services. He saw that the passenger, an Indian national, was having difficulty staying conscious despite the crew’s efforts.

He quickly checked his vitals and learned that he was hypoglycemic and had a low heart rate so he instructed the crew to give him candy and juice to increase his blood sugar level. The passenger’s condition eventually improved. James shared his experience on social media and he was lauded by the netizens for stepping up to the plate even before taking his oath as a health professional.

11. Taxi driver gives free rides to medical frontliners.

Sometimes it’s the people who have so little that give so much. A taxi driver, known only as Kuya Ariel, gives rides to medical frontliners for free as a small thank-you for all their sacrifices amid the pandemic.

A nurse couple shared their experience riding Kuya Ariel’s taxi and their post went viral on social media. The driver’s gesture was appreciated by many medical frontliners, many of whom experienced discrimination earlier in the pandemic and found it difficult to get rides to and from work.

Kuya Ariel was also generous with his words of comfort for medical frontliners. He told one doctor, “Doc, laban lang. We know na hindi madali ’yung pinagdadaanan ng mga frontliner. Tandaan niyo na may mga taong naniniwala at sumusuporta sa inyo.”

12. Pet cat stays with owner’s casket throughout funeral.

When you touch the hearts of animals, they stay loyal to you until the very end.

A pet cat showed exactly how fur babies love their fur parents when she was pictured on top of her owner’s casket. The cat, whose name is Terry, refused to budge from her position and kept coming back even when she was removed.

The late animal lover, JM, left behind many cats and dogs that he cared for through his short life. He died at 19 years old due to pancreatitis, but his family took comfort in the visible reminder of his huge heart capable of giving so much love—his pets.

13. Eloquent Filipino teenagers from the 1950s

Two Filipino teenagers from the 1950s were lauded online after videos of them participating in international debates surfaced on YouTube.

Raul Contreras and Johnny Antillon wowed today's generation with their wit and eloquence while speaking on issues such as prejudice and the effects of war.

The two passed away in 2012 and 2010, respectively, but their words continue to serve as inspiration to the youth today.

14. Self-supporting Grade 11 student juggles studies and work as tricycle driver.

The economic stress due to the pandemic made the situation difficult for many families. As a result, some students who attend online classes or work independently on their modules took the opportunity to get jobs.

One such student is Michael Jabal, 21, who went viral after he was spotted by a traffic enforcer answering his modules on his tricycle while waiting for passengers.

His dedication to his studies earned praises online, and after his story was featured in "24 Oras," the Quezon City Hall offered him a job as an encoder.

15. Man plays his 20-year-old piano for the last time amid Odette flooding.

Typhoon Odette wreaked havoc in Visayas and Mindanao a week before Christmas. Some people lost loved ones while many others lost their homes, and the affected areas are still without electricity and drinking water.

Those who have survived are relieved to be safe from harm, even though they lost many material things important to them. Amid the typhoon, one man in Cagayan de Oro could only watch helplessly as the floodwaters reached knee-deep inside their home, threatening to submerge his piano of 20 years.

The owner, Neil Jon Salcedo, decided to play his beloved instrument one last time. He tugged many hearts on social media after playing Yiruma's "River Flows In You." He and his family are now in an evacuation center, but there is no word yet on what happened to their home. – RC, GMA News