This article attempts to document the timeline of theCOVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines in 2020.

• January 29 -Department of Health (DOH) SecretaryFrancisco Duque III announced that the country is now equipped to test samples for novel coronavirus through theResearch Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) inMuntinlupa. Previously, the said laboratory could only test samples for SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, and DOH had been sending samples to the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL) inMelbourne, Australia.^[1][2]

• January 30 - DOH confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in the country, from a 38-year-old Chinese woman after her confirmatory test results arrived from VIDRL.^[3] The said Chinese together with her husband which is a 44-years-old-Chinese national, arrived in the country fromWuhan, China via aHong Kong-Cebu flight on January 21, 2020; travelled and arrived inDumaguete on January 22, 2020; then they took a flight to Manila and finally admitted inSan Lazaro Hospital on the same day on January 25, 2020, after experiencing symptoms.^[4]

• February 2 – DOH confirmed the second case of novel coronavirus, which also then became thefirst recorded death outside China. Died on February 1, 2020, the said case is a 44-year-old-male Chinese companion of the first reported carrier.^[5]
• February 5
  • The first confirmed case of a Filipino citizen outside the Philippines was announced. The case is of a crew member of the cruise shipDiamond Princess quarantined off the coast ofYokohama, Japan. A total of 7 passengers and 531 crew members of the said ship are Filipinos. Eventually, 41 of them became confirmed cases.^[6][7]
  • The third case in the country was confirmed, from a 60-year-old Chinese woman from Wuhan. She traveled from Wuhan via a Hong Kong-Cebu flight on January 20, and headed directly toBohol. On January 22, she admitted in an undisclosed hospital inTagbilaran City after experiencing symptoms. It is also the first reported case in theVisayas,Central Visayas, andBohol.^[8]
• February 9–22 – Repatriates from Wuhan were quarantined at theNew Clark City inCapas, Tarlac. None of them displayed any symptoms during the quarantine period and was released after they were cleared for the disease.^[9]

• March 5
  • The fourth case is a 48-year-old male Filipino lawyer and employee ofDeloitte atBonifacio Global City inTaguig, who had recent travel history inJapan and later admitted at RITM. It is the first case of a Filipino citizen inside the country.^[10]
  • The fifth case is a 62-year-old male Filipino resident ofCainta,Rizal and later succumbed.^[10]
• March 6
  • The sixth case is the 59-year-old wife of the fifth case diagnosed on March 5, also a resident of Cainta, Rizal, and eventually deceased.^[11]
  • The Department of Health confirmed that the fifth case was the first local transmission in the country. Code Red Sub-Level 1 was also raised as a precautionary measure.^[12]
• March 8
  • Four new cases were confirmed on March 8:
    • The seventh case is a 38-year-old-male Taiwanese national who got infected by another Taiwanese national that recently visited the Philippines. His symptoms began appearing on March 3 and later admitted atMakati Medical Center.^[13]
    • The eighth case is a 32-year-old-male Filipino citizen, a resident ofPasig City that recently visited Japan in the past two weeks. His symptoms began appearing on March 5 and later admitted atSt. Luke's Medical Center – Global City.^[13]
    • The ninth case is an 86-year-old-male American national with pre-existing hypertension that recently traveled to the US and South Korea. His symptoms began appearing on March 1 and later admitted atThe Medical City-SM City Marikina.^[13]
    • The tenth case is a 57-year-old-male Filipino citizen, resident ofQuezon City with no travel history outside of the country. He had contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases but his exposure is still under investigation by the DOH.^[13]
• March 9
  • President Duterte has formally declared a state of public health emergency in the Philippines.^[14] The president also suspended all classes, in public and private, in Metro Manila from March 10 to 14 and confirmed four more cases, totaling 24 cases.^[15]
  • Ten new cases were initially confirmed on March 9, totaling 20 cases. Included in the list are the following:
    • San Juan City confirmed its first case, which is also the eleventh case, a 72-year-old-male Filipino resident with no travel history and later admitted atSt. Luke's Medical Center-QC.^[16]
    • Cavite reported its first case, also the 20th case, a 48-year-old-male Filipino resident ofImus with recent travel history in Japan.^[17]
    • Bulacan logged its first case, a 58-year-old-female Filipino resident ofSan Jose del Monte and later admitted atDr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital-Caloocan. This also became the first confirmed case inCaloocan.^[18]
• March 10 – Eleven new cases were initially confirmed on March 10. The DOH later corrected that two cases were repeat tests, totaling 33 cases.^[19]
  • Confirmed first 2 Filipino crew members fromMV Diamond Princess cruise, a 31-year-old-maleNegros Oriental and a 34-year-old-male fromCamarines Sur. They were later admitted at theJose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital inPampanga.^[20]
• March 11 – Sixteen new cases were confirmed on March 11, totaling 49 cases.^[21]
  • TheWack Wack Golf and Country Club inMandaluyong temporarily closed after one of its guests, a Singaporean permanent resident, was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19.^[22][23]
  • Mandaluyong confirmed first case, a 53-year-old Filipino male and was later admitted at theSt. Luke's Medical Center – Quezon City.^[24]
  • Negros Oriental logged its first case, a 64-year-old-male local official ofTayasan, and had a history of travel to Greenhills,San Juan, where a cluster of COVID-19 cases was confirmed. He was later admitted at Ace Dumaguete Doctors Hospital.^[25]
  • Confirmed first case inMindanao, a 54-year-old male resident ofLanao del Sur. He works inPasig City but came home to his province. He was first admitted at the Adventist Medical Center inIligan, but later transferred toNorthern Mindanao Medical Center, and died on March 13. The patient also became the first case of COVID-19 forCagayan de Oro,Iligan, andLanao del Sur.^[26][27]
• March 12
  • Three new cases were confirmed on March 12, totaling 52 cases.^[28]
    • Las Piñas City confirmed its first case, a 53-year-old-male Filipino with no travel history and was confined at Las Piñas General Hospital and Trauma Center.^[29]
  • Vice-President Robredo on March 12 addressed the public about COVID-19. The vice-president urged the government to adopt work from home, fast-track the process of test-kits, and protect the vulnerable from the pandemic.^[30][31]
  • President Duterte announces a partial lockdown onMetro Manila beginning at midnight on March 15 that will cover 16 cities and one municipality. Land, domestic air, and domestic sea travel to and from Metro Manila shall be suspended until April 14, 2020 (international departures will be permitted). Entry travel restrictions shall be imposed upon those traveling from countries with localized COVID-19 transmissions, except for Filipino citizens (including their foreign spouse and children) or holders of Permanent Resident Visas and Diplomat Visas. Mass transportation within Metro Manila shall continue to operate with social distancing guidelines.^[32][33][34]
• March 13 – Twelve new cases were confirmed on March 13, totaling 64 cases.^[35]
  • Bataan reported its first case, a 32-year-old-male resident ofOrani and later confined at Bataan St. Joseph Hospital and Medical Center.^[36]
  • Batangas confirmed first case, a resident ofBatangas City with travel history inLondon and later admitted at Batangas Medical Center.^[37]
  • Oriental Mindoro has been placed under avoluntary community quarantine through Executive Order No. 22 issued by GovernorHumerlito Dolor, imposing a 12-day lockdown, starting at 12:01 p.m. on Saturday, March 14 until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25.^[38]
  • Pampanga logged its first case, a 67-year-old-male resident ofSan Fernando and later admitted at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Medical Center.^[39]
  • Parañaque City confirmed its first COVID-19 case, PH85 - a 38 male.^[40]
• March 14
  • Forty-seven new cases were confirmed on March 14, totaling 111 cases.^[41]
  • Abra andCordillera Region confirmed its first COVID-19 case, a 39-year-old OFW seaman with travel history in theUAE and a resident of Catacdegan Nuevo,Manabo. The said OFW also became the first case inLa Union upon learning that he visited his ailing mother at Lorma Medical Center inSan Fernando, where he was earlier listed as person under investigation (PUI).^[42]
  • Pasay City confirmed its first COVID-19 case, PH86 - a 46-year-old male resident with known exposure to a carrier and later admitted at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.^[40]
• March 15
  • The National Capital Region and the municipality of Cainta in Rizal have been placed under "community quarantine" or a partial lockdown that will last until April 14.
  • Twenty-nine new cases have been confirmed on March 15, totaling 140 cases.^[43]
    • Antipolo confirmed its first case, a 60-year-old-male Filipino resident with travel history in Japan and later confined atFatima University Medical Center, Antipolo.^[44]
    • Laguna logged its first case, a resident ofSanta Rosa^[45]
    • Muntinlupa City confirmed its first COVID-19 case, (PH139) - a 44-year-old female resident with no recent travel history and monitored at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine^[46]
    • Quezon province confirmed its first case, a 35-year-old male resident ofLucena with travel history inThailand andSingapore.^[47]
    • Confirmed first case inDavao Region, a 21-year-old Filipina resident ofPantukan with travel history in theUK andQatar and later admitted atDavao Regional Medical Center inTagum, propelling cities ofDavao andTagum to declare a "partial lockdown". This is also the first reported COVID-19 case forDavao City,Davao de Oro andDavao del Norte.^[48]
  • The PNP announced that an officer assigned to the CIDG showed symptoms of COVID-19 while having a diabetic condition. He died on March 14 with the test results released by March 17.^[49]
• March 16
  • Two new cases have been confirmed on March 16, totaling 142 cases.^[50]
  • President Duterte announces the placement of the entire island ofLuzon including its associated islands on "enhanced community quarantine," in effect imposing alockdown on the island.^[51]
• March 17
  • The Department of Health confirmed that the occurrence of community-based transmission of the coronavirus in the Philippines.^[52]
  • Forty-five new cases were confirmed on March 17, totaling 187 cases.^[53]
  • ADiamond Princess repatriate who tested positive of the virus has completely recovered from the disease and was discharged within the same day. This brings a total of 4 recoveries among infected patients in the Philippines.^[54]
  • On March 17, President Rodrigo Duterte has signed Proclamation No. 929 that placed the entire Philippines under the state of calamity on account of COVID-19.^{[55][56][57][58][59]}
• March 18
  • Six new cases were confirmed on March 18, totaling 193 cases.
    • Cebu confirmed first case, a 65-year-old man resident ofMandaue, later confined atChong Hua Hospital-Mandaue.^[60]
    • Cotabato City andSoccsksargen Region confirmed its first COVID-19 case, a 32-year-old Islamic missionary resident ofLanao del Sur who recently attended atabligh gathering inKuala Lumpur from February 27 to March 1. He was later confined at theCotabato Regional and Medical Center.^[27]
  • The total confirmed cases of COVID-19 surpassed the 200-benchmark. Eleven new cases were later confirmed, totaling 202 cases. Three fatalities were confirmed totaling 17 deaths.^[61]