Filipino musicians and foreign artists will be “jamming” in a May 25 concert organized by the Atin Ito Coalition for its third civilian mission to the West Philippine Sea, convenors announced on Monday.

“This May 25 we will sail again, carrying the message of peace and solidarity with the powerful use of music. And through the power of art and collective action, we will fight for what is rightfully ours,” Atin Ito Coalition co-convenor Rafaela David said at a press conference in Quezon City. 

“We won’t be wielding weapons of war but, instead, the unyielding force of music and solidarity,” she added.

An estimated 100 artists, fishers and volunteers will join the concert “at the heart’’ of the Kalayaan Island Group near the province of Palawan, David said, skipping mention of other key details for security reasons.

The West Philippine Sea refers to parts of the South China Sea that lie within the Philippines’ 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Coordination with gov’t 

David, also the president of the Akbayan party-list group, allayed fears for the safety of the civilians, saying the mission had been coordinated with the government, as had been done with Atin Ito’s first two missions in 2023 and 2024. 

“Based on the track record of Atin Ito, we’re happy because we’re able to prepare for the different scenarios to make sure that our convoy will be safe and secure,” she said. “Of course, we can’t shake off nervousness because of China’s harassment, but we feel secure with the help of our convenors and allies within the security sector.” 

The West Philippine Sea has seen increasing aggression by the China Coast Guard against Philippine Coast Guard personnel and Filipino fishers.

In May 2024, an Atin Ito advance team aboard the MV Franz Gavin eluded a Chinese blockade to supply food and fuel to Filipino fishers at Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal. Throughout the episode, it was shadowed by a Chinese Navy ship even as Philippine Coast Guard vessels kept tabs on the mission. 

In December 2023, its first-ever supply mission also got past Chinese vessels to deliver Christmas presents and other provisions to Philippine Marines stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre and other features in the West Philippine Sea.

Performers

This early, the singer-composer Noel Cabangon, the all-female rock band Rouge, Peta (Philippine Educational Theater Association) artists, and Japanese artist Fumia “Fumi” Sankai have signed up for the planned concert at sea.

“The realization that art has always been part of change-shaping movements is really a great opportunity for us to contribute,’’ Rogue vocalist Princess Ybanez said. She mentioned the band’s original song, “Kalibunan,” as their ode to environmental protection.

The press conference serves as an invitation for other artists and fishers from around the Philippines and the rest of Asia to join the concert for peace and solidarity, according to David.

“Of course, safety is a concern, but the organizers had to make sure of our safety,” Cabangon said in an interview, adding that he is now preparing a repertoire of “relevant songs,” including Juan dela Cruz’s “Ang Himig Natin,” for the concert.

In a video message shown during the conference, Sankai said: “I will join the peace concert on May 25 to show my solidarity with all the claimants of the West Philippine Sea… So let’s jam and sing our hearts out…”

‘Be prepared’

The concert has become all the more relevant following a recent post in the Chinese social media platform Rednote falsely claiming, complete with the term “Zheng He Island,” that Palawan was once Chinese territory.

Antonio Carpio, retired Supreme Court senior associate justice and a leading voice in upholding the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its EEZ, said Filipinos should prepare themselves against China’s claims.

“They’re starting to claim Palawan. Should we be worried? Yes. Why? Because the nine-dash line was started by ordinary citizens of China in the 1930s. It was only 10 years later—1947—when the Chinese government officially adopted the nine-dash line,” Carpio said in reference to China’s basis for its sweeping claim over almost the entire South China Sea that was invalidated by the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.  

“We should be prepared that China could officially claim Palawan, following what they’ve done to the Spratlys and Scarborough Shoal,” he said.

To counter Chinese disinformation on the West Philippine Sea, Carpio has been distributing framed copies of the “1875 Carta General del Archipelago Filipino”—the Spanish map depicting the Philippine archipelago. He handed over 75 such copies last month in seven barangays in Palawan.  

“It’s the most complete and most detailed map of Philippine territory during the Spanish regime. There’s no map like this,” Carpio said. “When school children see the map, you don’t have to explain. The Scarborough Shoal is there, the Kalayaan Island Group is there.”

The United States used the map as a reference in the territory ceded to it by Spain as contemplated under the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and as clarified by the Treaty of Washington of 1900.

Carpio said that Filipinos “must be united” and that the President, the country’s commander in chief, must be just “as steadfast” in defending the West Philippine Sea.  

“We should explain to the people: When you vote for the [senators], or your local leaders, especially when you vote for the president, be sure that that official will defend Philippine sovereignty and maritime zones in the West Philippine Sea because those territory and maritime zones are under threat, real threat,” he said.

‘New form of people power’

Francis “Kiko’’ Dee, executive director of the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation, said Atin Ito’s missions are “the new form of people power, not only in the streets but also at sea…”

“If we can defend the West Philippine Sea by our presence, the more we can defend it through our vote. Let’s vote for leaders who will fight for Filipinos and the national interest. Let’s fight for our country in the coming elections,” Dee said.

Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement president and Atin Ito coalition co-convenor Edicio dela Torre said that after the successful first two missions, they thought that the next creative thing to do was to mount a concert.

“But it should be about peace and solidarity because we’ve been accused of creating conflict and adding to the tension. We want peace and solidarity,” he said. 

David said that through the planned concert, Atin Ito also seeks to support the local community and encourage regional cooperation on issues concerning the West Philippine Sea.

“Our message through this peace and solidarity concert is: Open our EEZ. We must show that our EEZ, which is being militarized by China, is a peace and solidarity zone,” she said. With a report from CoverStory intern John Reniel Martus

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