1985 in the Philippines

* 1984
* 1983
* 1982
*   *

|  | 1985

the Philippines |

* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
*   *

|
|
|

Decades:|

* 1960s
* 1970s
* 1980s
* 1990s
* 2000s

See also:|

* List of years in the Philippines

* films
*   *   *

1985 in the Philippines details events of note that happened in the Philippines in that year.

## Incumbents

[edit]

President Ferdinand Marcos

* President: Ferdinand Marcos (KBL)
* Prime Minister: Cesar Virata (KBL)
* House Speaker: Nicanor Yñiguez
* Chief Justice:
* Enrique Fernando (until July 24)
* Felix Makasiar (July 24 – November 20)
* Ramon Aquino (starting November 20)

## Events

[edit]

### February

[edit]

* February 13 – An arson attack on the Regent of Manila, a resort hotel in Pasay, occurs,[1][2] burning it for four days and killing at least 27 people[3] including more than ten foreigners.[1] Between October 1984 and this month, 65, mostly foreign tourists, die in eight hotel fires in Baguio and Metro Manila;[4] the incident being the sixth.[2]

### April

[edit]

* April 22 – A fire in a theater complex inside a commercial building in Tabaco, Albay kills 44 people.[5]

### June

[edit]

* June 12 – The Central Bank issues the New Design Series, starting with a new 5-peso banknote with the face of Emilio Aguinaldo.

### August

[edit]

* August 13 – Fifty-six assemblymen of the Regular Batasang Pambansa sign a resolution calling for the impeachment of President Ferdinand Marcos for graft and corruption, culpable violation of the Constitution, gross violation of his oath of office and other high crimes.

### September

[edit]

* September 20 – In Escalante, Negros Occidental, pro-government paramilitary forces gun down civilians engaged in a protest-rally in commemoration of the 13th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law. At least 20 die and 30 more are injured.[6]

### October

[edit]

* October 18 – Typhoon Saling made landfall in the Philippines. The typhoon leaves 101 dead and $68 million in damage (1985 dollars).[6][7]

### November

[edit]

* November 2 – The military reports that at least 21 people had been killed in anti-communist clashes in southern Mindanao.[8]
* November 3 – President Marcos announces in a television interview he would set snap elections.

### December

[edit]

* December 2 – The Sandiganbayan acquits all the accused including General Fabian Ver in the Assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr.
* December 9 – The Philippine Daily Inquirer is founded by Eugenia Apostol, Max Soliven and Betty Go-Belmonte, as the broadsheet releases its first issue.[6]

## Holidays

[edit]

Main article: Public holidays in the Philippines

As per Act No. 2711 section 29,[9] issued on March 10, 1917, any legal holiday of fixed date falls on Sunday, the next succeeding day shall be observed as legal holiday. Sundays are also considered legal religious holidays. Bonifacio Day was added through Philippine Legislature Act No. 2946. It was signed by then-Governor General Francis Burton Harrison in 1921.[10] On October 28, 1931, the Act No. 3827 was approved declaring the last Sunday of August as National Heroes Day.[11] As per Republic Act No. 3022,[12] April 9 was proclaimed as Bataan Day. Independence Day was changed from July 4 (Philippine Republic Day) to June 12 (Philippine Independence Day) on August 4, 1964.[13]

* January 1 – New Year's Day
* February 22 – Legal Holiday
* April 5 – Maundy Thursday
* April 6 – Good Friday
* April 9 – Bataan Day
* May 1 – Labor Day
* June 12 – Independence Day
* July 4 – Philippine Republic Day
* August 13 – Legal Holiday
* August 25 – National Heroes Day
* September 21 – Thanksgiving Day
* November 30 – Bonifacio Day
* December 25 – Christmas Day
* December 30 – Rizal Day

## Business and economy

[edit]

* November 8 – SM City North EDSA is opened as the first SM Supermall in the Philippines.

## Entertainment and culture

[edit]

For the events related to Philippine television in 1985, see 1985 in Philippine television.

## Births

[edit]

* January 14 – Jason Abalos, television actor
* January 16 – Stefano Mori, actor and musician
* January 20 – Roxanne Barcelo, Filipino-American singer and actress
* January 31 – Ronnie Liang, singer
* February 9 – Gabe Norwood, basketball player
* February 11 – Chris Lutz, basketball player
* February 14 – Heart Evangelista, Chinese-Filipino singer, actress and TV show host
* February 17 – Anne Curtis, actress, singer, model and TV show host[14]
* February 24 – Aicelle Santos, singer-songwriter
* March 8 – Michael Burtscher, basketball player
* March 18 – Bianca King, Filipina-German model and actress
* April 7 – KC Concepcion, singer and actress; currently the Philippines Goodwill Ambassador against hunger of the UN's World Food Programme
* April 14 – Mac Baracael, basketball player
* April 15 – Diana Zubiri, actress
* April 16 – JC Tiuseco, Chinese Filipino actor, basketball player, TV show host and model
* April 23 – Angel Locsin, actress and commercial model
* May 8 – Jayvee Uy, politician
* June 1 – L.A. Lopez, singer and preacher
* June 6 – Victor Basa, actor
* June 16 – Francis Allera, basketball player
* June 20 – Camille Prats, actress
* June 23 – Laarni Lozada, singer
* July 7 – Pong Escobal, basketball
* July 15 – Chris Tiu, professional basketball player, TV show host and commercial model
* July 20 – Solenn Heussaff, actress, model, and host
* August 15 – Cogie Domingo, actor
* September 1 – Camile Velasco, Filipino American singer-songwriter
* September 3 – Carlo Aquino, actor and musician
* September 5 – John Medina, actor
* September 7 – Neri Naig, actress
* September 8 – Renz Fernandez, actor
* September 9 – Ketchup Eusebio, actor
* September 27 – Alex Castro, actor and model
* October 7 – Jason Ballesteros, basketball player
* October 8:
* Bruno Mars, Filipino American singer-songwriter and record producer
* Rox Santos, songwriter
* October 13 – Jimbo Aquino, basketball player
* October 19 – RR Enriquez, model, television host and actress
* November 5 – Patricia Fernandez, actress
* November 17 – Bea Saw, actress
* November 23 – Elmer Espiritu, basketball player
* December 5 – Dionne Monsanto, actress
* December 11 – Lovely Abella, dancer and comedian

## Deaths

[edit]

* January 2 – Gabriel "Flash" Elorde, Filipino boxer (b. 1935)
* January 14 – Teodoro Agoncillo, Filipino historian and author (b. 1912)
* March 7 – Victorio C. Edades, Filipino painter (b. 1895)
* May 6 – Julie Vega, Filipina child actress and singer[6] (b. 1968)
* May 31 – Pepsi Paloma, teenage star (b. 1966)
* August 11 – Manuel Conde, actor, director, and producer (b. 1915)
* December 15 – Carlos P. Romulo, Filipino diplomat, politician, soldier, journalist, and author[6] (b. 1898)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Johnson, Warren Cottle (February 14, 1985). "Hotel fire still burns". The Olympian. Olympia, Washington. Associated Press. p. 4. Retrieved March 14, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
2. ^ a b Tan, Abby (February 14, 1985). "Officials Fear Arson in Manila Fire". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
3. ^ "Manila Hotel Fire Put Out". The Washington Post. February 17, 1985. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
4. ^ "Hotel fire". Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida. November 3, 1985. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
5. ^ "44 Filipinos killed in theater blaze". The New York Times. Associated Press. April 22, 1985. p. A4. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
6. ^ a b c d e "8 Incredible Rare Recordings in Philippine History (with key events in 1985)". Filipiknow. February 2, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
7. ^ "Philippines Typhoon Oct 1985 UNDRO Information Reports 1 – 3". October 22, 1985. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
8. ^ "[Untitled news report]". The New York Times. Reuters. November 2, 1985. p. 1:9. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
9. ^ "AN ACT AMENDING THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Archived from the original on October 25, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
10. ^ "Bonifacio Day in Philippines in 2022". Official Holidays. Archived from the original on July 5, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
11. ^ "Act No. 3827". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
12. ^ "AN ACT PROCLAIMING THE NINTH DAY OF APRIL AS BATAAN DAY AND DECLARING IT AS A LEGAL HOLIDAY". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. April 6, 1961. Archived from the original on February 17, 2021. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
13. ^ "AN ACT CHANGING THE DATE OF PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY FROM JULY FOUR TO JUNE TWELVE, AND DECLARING JULY FOUR AS PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC DAY, FURTHER AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION TWENTY-NINE OF THE REVISED ADMINISTRATIVE CODE". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. August 4, 1964. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
14. ^ "My Story". Retrieved February 25, 2014.

* v
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States with limited
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* Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic

Dependencies, colonies
and other territories

*   *   * British Indian Ocean Territory
*   *   * Christmas Island
* Cocos (Keeling) Islands
*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

* v
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