Sinovac Biotech vaccine CoronaVac. March March 1 – The Department of Health and National Task Force Against COVID-19 start its vaccination campaign with 600,000 doses of donated COVID-19 vaccines from Sinovac. Philippine General Hospital director Gerardo Legaspi becomes the first person in the country to be legally inoculated with CoronaVac. March 13 – Residents of Palawan, except Puerto Princesa, vote in a plebiscite to disapprove a law that would divide Palawan into three separate provinces. March 21 – The Philippines files its first formal diplomatic protest with regard to the presence of about 220 Chinese fishing boats moored at Whitsun Reef in the Spratly Islands as early as March 7. The incident at Whitsun Reef caused diplomatic tensions between China and the Philippines with the latter suspecting the ships to be part of a militia and that China plans to use the ship to secure control over the disputed reef. March 27 – President Rodrigo Duterte approves the IATF's recommendation to place the Greater Manila Area under enhanced community quarantine from March 29 to April 4, later it was extended until April 11. April April 30 – PhiSys becomes available for online registration. PSA receives more than 40,000 registration request on the first minutes of the pilot launch. May May 8 – The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters insurgents occupied the public market of the municipality of Datu Paglas in Maguindanao. May 11 – President Duterte places the Philippines under a state of calamity for a period of one year due to the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak. May 14 – The Philippine government through the Anti-Terrorism Council formally declares CPP-NPA leader Joma Sison including 18 others and ASG leader Esmael Abdul-malik including nine others as terrorists in its resolution dated April 21. May 27: Republic Act 11550 is signed into law, approving the province of Maguindanao to be split into two provinces: Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur. Once ratification is approved in a future plebiscite, the province of Maguindanao will be dissolved. President Rodrigo Duterte signs Republic Act No. 11521, extending the electricity lifeline rates for the poor for a period of 50 years. July July 4 – A Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) crashes in Patikul, Sulu, killing 53 people. The incident is the deadliest aviation accident involving the Philippine military. July 30 – President Rodrigo Duterte revokes his order to terminate