Synchronized national and local elections are held. This was the first election participated by Overseas Filipinos under the Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003The colors indicate provinces where a candidate gathered the majority of votes: White Blue for Arroyo, Orange for Poe, Dark Blue for Lacson, and Pink for Roco. Villanueva was unable to secure a majority in any of the provinces.
July 7–20 – Angelo dela Cruz, an Overseas Filipino who was working as a truck driver was abducted by the Iraqi insurgents near the Iraqi city of Fallujah. He was released after the Philippine Government moved up its withdrawal of troops in Iraq as an answer to the demand of his captors. Dela Cruz was released on July 20 and returned home the day after.[5][6]
July 10 – Santa Rosa becomes a city in the province of Laguna through ratification of Republic Act 9264 which was approved on March 10.
July 23 – SAI building, a 5-year-old eight-story building on Padre Rada Street, collapses in the heart of busy Divisoria in Manila at 4:40 pm, crashing down on Italy Marketing building across the street.
November 16 – Hacienda Luisita massacre occurs, twelve picketing farmers and two children were killed and hundreds were injured when police and soldiers dispatched by then Labor Secretary Patricia Santo Tomas, stormed a blockade by plantation workers.
December
December 8 – Taguig becomes a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila through Republic Act No. 8487 which was enacted since December 8, 1998. After a recount of votes granted by the Supreme Court favoring the move.[8]
December 12 – A bombing in the main public market in General Santos kills at least 15 people and injures 69 others. Several persons, including Indonesian suspected members of JI and a former member of MILF, would be arrested in connection with the incident.[1]
On November 13, 2002, Republic Act No. 9177 declares Eidul Fitr as a regular holiday.[9] The EDSA Revolution Anniversary was proclaimed since 2002 as a special non-working holiday.[10] In the list, holidays in bold are "regular holidays" and those in italics are "nationwide special days".