March 15, 2020.
That was the day the Philippines stood still. At least for a time, as then-President Rodrigo Duterte implemented a strict lockdown in an attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
It would turn out to be one of the world's longest.
The imposition of lockdowns around the world was a stunning development, which saw sports leagues such as the NBA suspending its season. Even the Tokyo Olympics was postponed.
In the Philippines, the PBA had officially opened its 45th season on March 8, only to suspend it again until October 11. The UAAP was forced to cancel the senior volleyball tournaments for Season 82, and scrap Season 83 altogether.
It took a while before things finally got moving again, but people got creative while they were mandated to stay inside their homes.
Here's an attempt to mash both the fads of the lockdown and the stories of the pandemic.
Bubbling bubbles: PBA sets example with bubble tournament
Much like how you have to whisk and whisk and whisk to create froth for a Dalgona coffee, it took plenty of convincing and effort for the PBA to stage a bubble tournament in Angeles, Pampanga.
It was a proof of concept, similar to that of NBA's season in Walt Disney World. It also gave way to such arrangements for the PVL and the UAAP.
The 2020 PBA Philippine Cup, which restarted in October, crowned Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, with LA Tenorio as the Finals MVP.
For the first time in 13 years, Barangay Ginebra won the Philippine Cup.
It was also a fitting end to Mark Caguioa's 18th season.
"You're on mute": Robert Bolick and the rise of online meetings and viewings
"You're on mute" must have been one of the most-used phrases of 2020 and 2021, with the rise of Zoom and other online meeting platforms due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sports leagues were also able to harness this dynamic, as the PBA put up giant screens to allow virtual fans to "watch" the bubble tournament at the sidelines.
It also brought us this gold, as Robert Bolick appeared on screen, seemingly enjoying the game while laying on the bed as he recovered from an ACL injury.
Same, Berto, same.
Add to cart: PVL expands as it turns pro
Much like the boom of online shopping, the 2021 season saw the Premier Volleyball League haul quite a shopping spree with Philippine SuperLiga teams Chery Tiggo, Cignal, F2 Logistics, PLDT, and Sta. Lucia.
It was also in 2021 when the PVL finally turned pro.
The bubble set-up in Laoag also saw a new challenger to Creamline's crown, as the sibling duo of Jaja and Dindin Santiago helped the Chery Tiggo Crossovers win the Open Conference crown.
Let them rise: UP Fighting Maroons become UAAP basketball champions
The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown encouraged people to develop and find their hobbies-turned-mini businesses. One of them turned out to be baking.
Suddenly, raisin and ube bread was a thing. Starters were developed for ciabatta and sourdough. People got hampering for cookie crumbles and focaccia.
And just like how one would allow yeast to work its magic and allow bread to rise, the UP Fighting Maroons finally won its first UAAP basketball championship since 1986.
It took plenty of hard work and investment after that spark of a win back in 2014, when the Fighting Maroons ended a 27-game skid and beat the Adamson Soaring Falcons in UAAP Season 77.
The heroics of JD Cagulangan against a Tab Baldwin-led Ateneo Blue Eagles sealed the upset of Season 84.
It took 36 years for this bread to rise, but the wait was so worth it.
TikTok: Everyone and the NU Lady Bulldogs gets swept in the craze
Being forced to stay at home meant people let themselves shine online. And the Gen Z were particularly swept by TikTok and its multitude of dance crazes.
Bella Belen of the NU Lady Bulldogs wasn't immune.
Season 84 also saw a sweep as the Lady Bulldogs went 16-0 in women's volleyball to clinch the title--ending a 65-year drought.
Of course, it was Bella who was hailed as the Rookie of the Year-Most Valuable Player of the Year.
Putting a premium on mental health: Hidilyn Diaz overcomes bashers to deliver first Philippine Olympic gold
The pandemic was also a time when people put a premium on their mental health, recognizing how important it was in a period when physical proximity was a no-no. That meant stepping away and blocking out the negatives.
But sometimes, it gets hard to block such things. There was an inconceivable moment in 2019 when weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz was somehow ridiculously tagged in matrix for a supposed "Oust Duterte" plot.
It was enough for trolls and keyboard warriors to attack Diaz online, significantly hampering her training for the Tokyo Olympics.
More than the weight of barbell, the mental pressure was far more difficult to lift.
It was Diaz's fourth Olympics. In Beijing 2008, she finished second to the last. In London 2012, the Filipina failed to finish in the clean and jerk event. She managed to bounce back in Rio 2016 for a silver medal--the country's first for a weightlifter and a Filipina athlete.
In Tokyo 2020, it took plenty of support from Team HD, her eventual husband Julius Naranjo, and wily orchestrations from coach Gao Kaiwen for Diaz to clinch the Philippines' first-ever Olympic gold medal.
Who wouldn't get emotional hearing the Lupang Hinirang at the Summer Games?
Tokyo 2020 was by far the Philippines' best, with Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam clinching silver in boxing. Eumir Marcial would also get bronze.
The pandemic was a terrible time for the Philippines and the rest of the world, with the loss of loved ones due to the illness, as well as a loss of livelihood.
But it was also a time of great comebacks, a time of breaking records, and a time to get going again.
Over a year after the Philippines stood still, sports was able to help us move again.