ANYARE? Wrapped: The top issues and news stories that made headlines in 2021

MANILA, Philippines — It's safe to say that 2021 has been an eventful year for all of us — for better or for worse.

From the still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the new threat of a "more transmissible" Omicron variant, to the various scandals and controversies involving government officials and agencies, the year was a mixed bag of old and new hurdles.

It was also a time when controversial laws like the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 came into and withstood Supreme Court scrutiny.

But it wasn't entirely peppered with negative stories: some were inspiring and historic like the Philippines' first Olympic gold medal win — and consequently the country's best performance on the biggest stage in sports.

However, how exactly did we end up here? And more importantly did we, as a nation, manage to pick up any lessons that we can apply moving forward?

Tonight, we ask: Anyare?

Join Xave Gregorio, James Relativo and the rest of the Philstar.com newsroom as they look back at the 10 biggest news stories in the Philippines that helped shape "2020 version 2.0."

Catch the 13th episode of Anyare? tonight at 6 p.m. on Philstar.com’s Facebook and YouTube accounts.