The year 2020 in photos: Take a look back at what transpired

You’ve probably heard this dozens of times before already, but we’ll say it again: It’s been a long year. A lot of things happened throughout the course of 2020, from the beginning of January right until these last few weeks of December.

Actually, we’ve already rounded up some of the biggest motoring issues this year in a previous story, but frankly, there’s just simply a lot to take in. So to give everyone (ourselves included) an easier recap of just what exactly transpired during one of the most abysmal years in recent memory, we’ll give you a look at the year in photos.

Taal Volcano phreatic eruption

This was what driving through the peak of Taal Volcano’s phreatic eruption looked like. PHOTO BY Echo Antonio

The aftermath. PHOTO BY Echo Antonio

It was tough cleaning all the ash. PHOTO BY Leandre Grecia

More aftermath photos. PHOTO BY Mark Jesalva

The streets did not look pretty at all. PHOTO BY Echo Antonio

Skyway Stage 3 project fire incident

Fire broke out at an SMC-owned warehouse and damaged 300 meters of the ongoing Skyway Stage 3 project. PHOTO BY Mark Villar

The fire initially set back the project’s schedule by three months. PHOTO BY dmitrivalencia

Motorcycle-taxi issues

Angkas and other motorcycle-taxi service providers dealt with a lot this year. PHOTO BY Angkas on Twitter

Even amid all the commotion, a new player entered the market. PHOTO BY Aris Ilagan

Motorcycle-taxis were eventually allowed to operate, just before the COVID-10 pandemic hit. PHOTO BY Aris Ilagan

COVID-19 pandemic: First months of ECQ

Traffic-free city streets. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

The carless EDSA was barely recognizable. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascano

There was limited movement even along the major tollways. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

Malls were empty. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

Shoppers were nowhere to be found. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

Even the busiest districts turned into ghost towns. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

Checkpoints were put up along city borders. PHOTO BY Jerome AscanoMetro Manila seemed eerily quiet. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascano

COVID-19 pandemic: Transition to GCQ

The usual EDSA traffic was back. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

The EDSA Bus Augmentation program was first rolled out PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

Strict safety protocols had to be observed in public transport. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

More people turned to bikes to move around the city. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

Even motorcycles on the road appeared to grow in number. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

Trains were only allowed to operate at limited capacities. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

Some photos of the LRT-1. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

Other photos of the LRT-2. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

Safety was of utmost priority at the train stations. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

Drive-thru COVID-19 testing booths also started popping around the capital. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

The testing booths catered to all motorists. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascano

EDSA Busway

Government agencies officially launch the EDSA Busway program. PHOTO BY Department of Transportation

Dedicated bus lanes were moved to the inner portion of EDSA PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

Designated bus stops were also established along the thoroughfare. PHOTO BY Department of Transportation

Beep card issues

The DOTr requires the use of cashless payments along the EDSA Busway. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

Commuters flock to grab their own Beep cards. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

All the confusion eventually forced authorities to withdraw the mandatory cashless fare collection system. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

Bike lanes in Metro Manila

LGUs and government agencies started putting up more bike lanes. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

It was one city after the other. PHOTO BY Pasig Transport on Facebook

It was a welcome sight for commuters. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

Motorcycle-taxi operations amid the pandemic

A lot of preparations had to be made before motorcycle-taxis were allowed back on the road. PHOTO BY Angkas on Facebook

Motorcycle shields were the subject of discussion for a time. PHOTO BY Shark Philippines

After months of going back and forth, motorcycle-taxi providers eventually resumed operations. PHOTO BY Angkas

Typhoon Ulysses

In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Typhoon Ulysses struck the Philippines. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

It left thousands of destroyed homes and displaced families in its wake. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

Marikina was left as one of the most affected areas after the storm. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

Basically the entire city was submerged in floods. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

Skyway Extension Project accident

Photo of the recent Skyway Extension Project freak accident. PHOTO BY Muntinlupa City Department of Disaster Resilience and Management on Facebook

RFID fiasco

Arguably the biggest motoring issue of the year: the mandatory use of RFIDs on all tollways. PHOTO BY Leandre Grecia

It was—and still is—the talk of the town. PHOTO BY Aris Ilagan

Motorists came rushing out of their homes to get their own RFIDs before the government’s imposed deadlines. PHOTO BY Dinzo Tabamo

Tollway personnel installing an Easytrip RFID sticker. PHOTO BY Jerome Ascaño

The word RFID could easily be one of the most used words of 2020. PHOTO BY Sharleen Banzon

Well, that’s a wrap... for now. As of this writing, we still have a couple of weeks to go before the year ends, and at this point, we wouldn’t be surprised anymore if there was still another big story waiting right around the corner to close out 2020.

Anyway, we know these photos didn’t cover everything, so if you have more images you’d like to add to this ‘2020 in a nutshell’ gallery, feel free to send them to our social media inbox.