2023 was full of conspicuous issues that netizens couldn’t stop talking about. From showbiz issues to viral topics online, pinoytrend.net has successfully brought the latest topics to our subscribers for the past 12 months. Here are some of the issues that our followers mostly read this year.
1. Alfamart Girl’s hidden beauty
A convenience store cashier, whom netizens called ‘Alfamart Girl’ went viral on social media after a customer posted a photo during her shift last March.
Her photos quickly received thousands of shares from several netizens who admired her beauty even if she was wearing a facemask in the said pictures.
Some even tried to trace the branch of the Alfamart where she was working so they could personally witness her beauty.
The cashier was later identified as Ervita Parazika, who works at Alfamart Indonesia.
Some Filipino fans expressed regret after realizing that Ervita was not a Filipina.
2. Lea Salonga’s dressing room issue
Lea Salonga went viral on social media after a fan, Christopher Retokelly Carpilla, uploaded a video of the international singer lecturing them about privacy.
The incident happened last July after Lea’s performance on the Broadway musical ‘Here Lies Love.’
The video showed the visibly surprised Lea, who asked Carpilla’s group how they were allowed to enter her dressing room.
“Para akong ipis na inapakan or kutong tiniris, ‘yun po kasi talaga ang naramdaman ko Sir Julius,” said Christopher while narrating the incident. “Lahat po kami natulala,”
Lea said she only wanted to set boundaries between her and her fans.
“We’re human beings, first of all. We need to rest. We need to take time for ourselves when we say goodbye when we make our curtain call, we head back to the room, that’s it,” she said.
3. Francis Magalona’s alleged other woman, Abegail Rait
An episode of Pinoy Pawnstars last November gained more than 20 million views on the internet after one of their customers, former flight attendant Abegail Rait, claimed that she had a relationship with the legendary rapper Francis Magalona in his final years.
What surprised the netizens more was when she revealed that their relationship produced a child, Francheska Gail Rait.
Abegail then sold the jersey she received from Francis for P500,000.
The issue gained mixed reactions on social media, and some netizens criticized Abegail for having a relationship with a married man.
Francis’s wife, Pia Magalona, refused to speak about the issue.
4. The Dabarkads left Eat Bulaga and GMA Network
No one expected that an internal issue on Eat Bulaga management would escalate quickly in just a short period and didn’t end well.
Rumors about Eat Bulaga’s internal issue have been circulating since March, as one of its founders, Tony Tuviera, was allegedly being forced to retire by the noontime show’s production company, Television and Production Exponents (TAPE) Inc.
The Jalosjos family, who owned TAPE Inc., denied the issues several times, but last May, all hosts of Eat Bulaga, including Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon, announced that they were leaving the longest-running noontime show and also GMA Network due to the issues surrounding the production company.
TVJ then filed several charges against TAPE Inc. for using Eat Bulaga branding, saying that Joey was the one who created the said title.
TAPE Inc. lost its trademark franchise on December 5 after the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) favored TVJ’s complaint.
5. Rendon Labador’s criticism against several celebrities and popular figures.
‘Motivational Speaker’ Rendon Labador gained the attention of the netizens due to his comments against celebrities including Joey de Leon, Michael V, Vice Ganda, Coco Martin, and Paolo Contis.
His belief that social media influencers were more powerful than traditional celebrities also gained mixed reactions from the netizens.
Rendon’s former restaurant, Episode Bar + Grill, also gained popularity among the netizens due to his aggressive promotion of his previous business.
6. Vice Ganda, Ion Perez vs. MTRCB
An episode of It’s Showtime gained controversy after Vice Ganda and Ion Perez were seen eating a cake in a different manner in front of several children.
The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) then ordered an investigation against It’s Showtime, which ended in the suspension of the noontime show.
MTRCB’s chair, Lala Sotto, gained a tremendous amount of criticism from It’s Showtime fans, who accused her of trying to remove the competitors of her father’s noontime show, E.A.T.
7. Alex Gonzaga’s cake issue
Alex Gonzaga raised the eyebrows of the netizens after a video taken during her birthday celebration showed how she smudged a cake to one of their waiters.
Thousands of netizens expressed their sympathy to the poor waiter for allegedly being treated badly by Alex.
The issue ended after the waiter signed a letter and insisted that Alex’s actions were fine to him.
8. Andrea Brillantes’ and Ricci Rivero’s relationship
Andrea Brillantes and Ricci Rivero’s well-publicized relationship ended this year after several months of speculations from the netizens.
The actress then took a swipe several times against Ricci and even insinuated that the latter had not washed his clothes for a year.
Ricci denied the accusations from the actress, and even his family was forced to speak about the issue to defend the basketball player.
9. Richard Gutierrez and Sarah Lahbati’s rumored breakup
There were rumors that Richard Gutierrez and Sarah Lahbati decided to call it quits due to reasons that were not yet clear.
The issue was fueled by the statements made by Richard’s mother, Annabelle Rama, during an interview, where she said that Sarah was spending too much money despite being unemployed.
However, veteran columnist Cristy Fermin hinted that Richard allegedly treated Sarah badly during their relationship.
Sarah’s mother, Esther Lahbati, also revealed that Richard didn’t allow Sarah to go outside without any bodyguards.
A possible legal battle was also reportedly brewing between the two camps.
10. Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla’s breakup
One of the biggest breakups this year happened just before 2023 ended.
Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla have confirmed the rumors that they decided to end their 11-year relationship.
Kathryn and Daniel didn’t reveal the reason for their breakup, but some netizens speculated that a third party was involved in the issue.
Some netizens linked Andrea Brillantes, who admitted that she had had a long-time crush on Daniel.
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