Both Google and Yahoo! Philippines recently announced its 2009 review highlighting the top searches and trends on their respective search engines.
2009 Yahoo! Philippines Year in Review
Yahoo! Philippines announced its 2009 Year in Review which highlights the top Searches and trends on Yahoo!. The annual review, which accounts for billions of Searches, is a distinct way to look at people’s interests and to identify the ways they use the Web to find information and breaking news as it happens.
In 2009, the Web was an integral part of the news cycle as people rushed online to get updates about topics as diverse as the economy, and local gossip. People now search for information through search engines not only by using their Internet-enabled computers but also via mobile phone.
The issues that peaked Pinoy’s interest this year, included celebrities, sports, politicians and local events which shook the country. For Yahoo!, Manny topped the list as the most searched for person in the Philippines as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world beat former champ Ricky Hatton in two furious rounds in Las Vegas in May. The death of former president, Cory Aquino topped the Yahoo! News searches and Yahoo! Questions as people remembered how she toppled Ferdinand Marcos, and her years of peacefully restoring democracy in the country. Her burial march lasted 10 hours, with millions of Filipinos joining in to mourn their “queen.”
Top overall search terms for Philippines in 2009:
- Manny Pacquiao
- Cory Aquino
- Francis Magalona
- Ondoy
- Dionisia Pacquiao
- Shalani Soledad
- Eraserheads
- University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP)
- Mar and Korina
- Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)
In Yahoo!’s celebrity search rankings, homegrown talent comes first. Local celebrity searches prove that national interest in controversy and scandal is growing. Kris Aquino touched people’s hearts during her mother’s wake as she detailed the last days of the beloved ex-president. The top celebrity searches in the Philippines also included:
- Maricar Reyes
- Angel Locsin
- Sandara Park
- Pamela Bianca Manalo
- Kris Aquino
- Marian Rivera
- Michael Jackson
- Coco Martin
- Anne Curtis
- Judy Ann Santos
In a market where mobile penetration is more than 68%, Filipinos are definitely spending a lot more time searching and surfing the Internet on the mobile. The top mobile searches for Philippines included:
- NBA
- Katrina Halili
- Manny Pacquiao
- Marian Rivera
- Hayden Kho
- Francis Magalona
- Citigroup
- Michael Jackson
- Cory Aquino
- PBA
Google Zeitgeist Philippines 2009
Google announced its annual Zeitgeist for the Philippines, a look at 2009 through the collective eyes of Filipinos browsing the web. The 2009 Year-End Zeitgeist includes a unique perspective on the year's major events and hottest trends based on searches conducted on Google.com.ph.
This year's fastest rising Google searches in the Philippines sum up what was top of mind for Filipinos this year. In the tech world, Facebook and Twitter are the latest sites to get Pinoys connecting with each other online. As always, music-related searches made it high up the list, with Love Story being the hottest sing-along song for Pinoys, Lady Gaga getting everyone grooving online after playing live at the Araneta Coliseum in August, and Michael Jackson's unexpected death. Pinoys' interest in celebrities continues with Hayden Kho, Maricar Reyes and Korean TV star Kim Bum and, of course, our unofficial national hero Manny Pacquiao, who knocked out British boxer Ricky Hatton in the second round.
From politics to sports, 2009 was peppered with events that got Filipinos searching for more information online, and Google was there to provide Pinoys unlimited access. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, Liberal Party candidate for president in next year's national elections, was the hottest politician in online searches this year. Hayden Kho, whose "Hayden Cam" videos were leaked online, was the fastest-rising local buzz maker. But the list of current events topics that had Filipinos searching for more information online showed what truly mattered to them, such as the A (H1N1) flu pandemic and the typhoons that severely damaged the country.
The Philippine Zeitgeist also shows that the top tech trendsetter for the year is internet social game Pet society. Further, Baler is the fastest-rising local travel destination search term for Pinoys. A period film shown late last year starring Anne Curtis and Jericho Rosales spurred local interest in this surfer’s paradise. Local band Sponge Cola's "Di Na Mababawi" is this year's anthem, leading the fastest-rising OPM songs category. Carla Abellana, who got her first big break by starring in the local remake of Mexican telenovela “Rosalinda,” is the hottest searched local showbiz celebrity of 2009.
* Disclaimer: All lists are fastest-rising except for the top queries list. All duplicates, as well as the country name “Philippines” have been removed from the list.
Faces of, Phases of 2009
The personalities that gave a face to 2009
- hayden kho
- francis magalona
- cory aquino
- ted failon
- carla abellana
- noynoy aquino
- princess velasco
- bebe gandanghari
- boyet fajardo
- jacque bermejo
OMG (Our Most Googled) Issues in Google News
Issues and controversies that made the headlines in 2009
- h1n1 philippines
- typhoon emong
- ted failon case
- typhoon ketsana
- typhoon parma
- amiel alcantara
- chip tsao
- daniel smith
- superferry 9
- reproductive health bill
Running or Not ... Here They Come
Fastest-rising politicians searched on Google News
- aquino iii
- panfilo lacson
- escudero
- ralph recto
- mar roxas
- villar
- gilbert teodoro
- joseph estrada
- willie revillame
- gloria macapagal arroyo
Biyahe Na!
Fastest-rising travel destinations locally
- baler
- amana resort
- acuatico beach resort
- coron palawan
- cwc
- anawangin cove
- canyon cove
- el nido palawan
- 8 waves resort
- eco park
Zeitguys and Gals
Up-and-coming and most popular celebrity searches
- carla abellana
- bebe gandanghari
- sandara park
- coco martin
- aling dionisia
- katrina halili
- maricar reyes model
- angel locsin
- denise laurel
- katherine luna
Ang mga Himig Natin
Fastest-rising OPM songs searched by Filipinos
- di na mababawi
- true love ko
- note to god
- kaleidoscope world
- ikaw na nga
- walang hanggan
- balisa
- bintana
- paglisan
- nagmahal ako
Towards a Philippine e-Government
Fastest-rising government-related info and services searched online
- pagasa weather forecast
- lotto results pcso
- tesda training center
- pag-ibig housing loan
- civil service exam
- nso birth certificate
- sss contribution inquiry
- napolcom exam result
- nursing board exam
- bar exam results
Hinahanap-hanap sa Pinilakang Tabing
The most popular Pinoy films searched in 2009
- katorse movie
- darna movie
- sundo movie
- bff movie
- jay movie
- tarot movie
- serbis movie
- jose rizal movie
- anak movie
- dayo movie
Top Tech Trends of Two Thousand and Nine
Fastest-rising gadget-, application-, and software-related searches
- pet society
- dota hotkeys
- farmtown
- windows 7
- mixpod
- iphone 3gs
- nokia 5800
- samsung s5233
- firefox 3.5
- globe tattoo
Google Insights for Search, a publicly available tool, also provides unique insight into a number of recent, significant issues and events. According to the most recent data from the tool, while the Maguindanao massacre is currently top-of-mind for many Filipinos searching online, Manny Pacquiao’s fight with Miguel Cotto galvanized the country in such a remarkable way that search volumes about the record-breaking feat still overwhelmingly eclipsed that of the recent tragedy.
Data from Google Insights for Search also shows that in a matter of four months, searches for Noynoy Aquino have managed to gain on and even slightly overtake the searches that fellow presidentiables Manny Villar, Dick Gordon, Joseph Estrada, and Gilbert Teodoro have accumulated for the entire year.
