"The best is yet to come." - Frank Sinatra

As 2020 begun, everyone was excited as always for new beginnings. But, this year surprised us for it brought with it some events that no one expected to happen and would change our world forever. Before this year ends in 2months, let's try to recall all the events that impacted our lives this year.

Bushfire in Australia

Although Australia has always had bushfires, this season has been worse than usual. Since the bushfire started last yeat 2019, at least 33 people have been killed - including four firefighters - and more than 11 million hectares (110,000 sq km or 27.2 million acres) of bush, forest and parks across Australia has burned with New South Wales as the worst-hit state destroying five million hectares of land area and 2,000 houses forcing thousands od residents to evacuate.

Ukrainian Boeing 737-800 Plane Crash

On January 8, Ukrainian Boeing 737-800 (Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752) which was bound to Kyiv crashes just after take-off from Tehran, Iran, killing all 176 people on board,15 of which were children. Among the victims were 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians including all nine crew, 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Britons and three Germans.

Taal Volcano eruption

After 42 years, Taal Volcano erupted again. The last time it erupted was in October 1977, though several incidents of volcanic unrest were recorded in 2011, 2012, and 2014. The eruption has affected thousands of families and caused millions-of damages just days after the initial eruption on January 12. The said activity laster from January 12 to January 22 causing 944 volcanic earthquakes, ashfall which reached CALABARZON, Metro Manila, and some parts of Central Luzon.

Covid-19

It was December last year when this new virus that surfaced in Wuhan, China but since it has similarities with Sars-Cov, people did not see it as a threat not until on January 22, when China locks down city of Wuhan,which is the epicenter of the said virus, and its 11 million people, in effort to control the coronavirus with death toll at 17, over 500 people ill. This alarmed the entire world which resulted for them to ban entries of Chinese nationals in their respective countries. It was March 9 when Italy announces it is locking down the whole country due to spike in coronavirus COVID-19 cases with 10,040 cases and 630 deaths. Many countries also moved into strict lockdowns to prevent the spread of the virus, and at one point as many as 99.4% of the student population across the entire planet was affected by school closures on a national or local level. These lockdowns had a severe impact on business and vast numbers of events were also postponed or cancelled due to the pandemic, including the Olympic Games, which were postponed to 2021.

Here in th Philippines, the first case in was identified on January 30, 2020 and involved a 38-year-old Chinese woman who was confined at San Lazaro Hospital in Metro Manila and on February 1, a posthumous test result from a 44-year-old Chinese man turned out positive for the virus, making the Philippines the first country outside China to record a confirmed death from the disease. After over a month without recording any cases, the Philippines confirmed its first local transmission on March 7. Since then, the virus has spread. Lockdowns, or community quarantines have been imposed throughout the country since March 15 as a measure to limit the spread of the virus. The largest of these measures was the enhanced community quarantine wherein there is a restricted movement of the people for the containment and prevention of the spread of the virus. As of November 16, there have been 409,574 confirmed cases of the disease in the country. Out of these cases, 374,366 recoveries and 7,839 deaths were recorded.

The United Nations described the pandemic as the greatest test the world has faced since World War II. In total, 1,331,702 people have died so far from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak as of November 17, 2020.

Death of basketball Legend Kobe Bryant

A shocking news on the morning of January 26 when LA Lakers basketball legend Kobe Bryant, her daughter Gianna, and seven other dies in a helicopter crash in foggy conditions in the hills above Calabasas, southern California on their way to a basketball math. Known as one of the greatest players in Basketball, a lot if not the entire world mourned on the sudden death of the said player. Fellow players, friends and family members had mourned as well together with Bryant's wife, Vanessa, and his 3 other daughters, Natalia, Bella, and Capri.

Supertyphoons

Since the beginning of this month, a lot of typhoons had hit the country. Super typhoon Rolly hit the country last November 1 which made a landfall on the Bicol region, specifically Catanduanes island, leaving 26 deaths and 6 missing and caused a lot of damages in infrastructure and agriculture. Not long after super typhoon Rolly, another super typhoon hit the Philippines on November 11,and again, Bicol region was the first to face Super typhoon Ulysses which triggered massive floods in parts of the region. Ulysses then battered Calabarzon, Central Luzon, and Metro Manila, unleashing powerful winds and torrential rain that left neighborhoods submerged and people appealing for aid and rescue. At the height of the said typhoon, Magat dam was said to had caused the severe flooding in Isabela and Cagayan provinces when they released the water of the said reservoir. In total, there are 69 deaths and 12 missing were reported alongside damages of infrastuctures and agricultures. Thousands of families are in different evacuation centers amidst Covid-19 pandemic situation.

Truely that this year can be considered as an unforgettable year for this generation. As the end of this year approaches, many are hoping and praying for a better year. Just like what they always say, tomorrow is another day.