Rappers in WPS concert ask China: ‘Why are you here?’
TARGET AUDIENCE Fishermen from Pag-asa Island approach the “Atin Ito” concert venue and receive a supply of fuel as gift on Wednesday. —Nestor Corrales
ABOARD MV KAPITAN FELIX OCA, WPS — Overcast skies, choppy waters and intermittent rainfall failed to stop the staging of a historic concert on board this vessel in the waters off Pag-asa (Thitu) Island, the culmination of a civilian mission to assert the country’s sovereignty in this part of the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
More than 150 youth and civil society volunteers, fisherfolk, performing artists, Church leaders and journalists joined the trip that also kicked off with song numbers in El Nido, Palawan, on Monday.
READ: Atin Ito volunteer in West PH Sea convoy sees crisis up close
The “peace and solidarity concert,” the first-ever organized by Atin Ito Coalition to make its third mission to the WPS extra special, was held inside the training bridge of the Felix Oca while the vessel was anchored some 4.6 kilometers off Pag-asa.
The 38-hectare island, mapped as part of the Kalayaan municipality under Palawan province, is home to 389 Filipinos and lately the beneficiary of major infrastructure projects for both civilian and military use.
The concert’s target audience, so to speak, came in the form of the local fishermen from the island. They arrived in 11 small fishing boats, approaching the Felix Oca as the performances began around 1 p.m.
To mark National Flag Day, Atin Ito also held a flag-raising ceremony on deck to start the show.
Among the performers were Filipino rap collective Morobeats, South Korean pop group I:Mond, P-pop sensation Hori7on, and musical artists Kai Mata from Indonesia and Viona from Malaysia.
Shadowed from the start
Morobeats performed one of their hits, “Teritoryo,” (Territory), a choice deemed apt for the occasion and setting.
For within view from the Felix Oca were several Chinese ships.
The rap group directed their lyrics at the Chinese: “Teritoryo namin ’to, bat kayo nandito? Ito’y tahanan naming di ibibigay” (“This is our territory, why are you here? This is our home that we will not give up”).
One vessel, a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship with bow number 21549, had followed the mission all the way from El Nido and was still shadowing it in the waters off Pag-asa.
Considering the Chinese presence, the local fishermen took some considerable risk when they ventured out to greet the Felix Oca’s arrival.
The coalition gifted them with 22 containers of fuel. The fishermen were supposed to board the mission vessel, but bad weather made the transfer unsafe.
“This (gift) may seem small, but in these contested waters every drop is a declaration of support, and every delivery is an act of courage,” said Rafaela David, president of the party list group Akbayan and Atin Ito coconvener.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confirmed that at least three CCG vessels and 22 Chinese maritime militia ships were in the vicinity of Pag-asa during the concert.
The Felix Oca was escorted by two PCG ships — Melchora Aquino and Malapascua — throughout the journey.
Later in the day, David declared: “Mission accomplished.”
“This is a moment of triumph not just for our mission, but for every Filipino who dreams of peace and justice in our seas. We made history today by holding the very first sea concert deep in the West Philippine Sea, just two to three nautical miles from Pag-asa Island,” she said.
Despite being shadowed by Chinese marine vessels, “we stood our ground.”
“Our artists sang not just to entertain but to resist, to unite, and to inspire,” she said. “Through music, we forged solidarity across nations and declared to the world that our seas must be zones of peace, not arenas of conflict.”
For David, the message sent to China was simple: “We want peace in the West Philippine Sea, and that peace is not only desired by Filipinos, but also by the citizens of our neighboring countries.”
Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM) President and another Atin Ito co-convener, Edicio dela Torre, thanked the volunteers, artists, crew, and organizers who made the mission possible.
“We knew the challenges when we set sail, but we moved forward because we believe that our cause is just. Together, we showed that even against powerful forces, the collective will of the Filipino people is stronger,” Dela Torre said.
Kiko Aquino Dee, a nephew of former President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino III, joined the mission and said it was the farthest he had ever gone out to sea.
‘Deeply P-Noy-coded’
The activity thus doubled as a tribute to Dee’s late uncle, under whose administration Manila challenged Beijing’s expansionism in the South China Sea.
The Philippines later won a historic arbitral ruling invalidating China’s sweeping maritime claims that encroached on the country’s exclusive economic zone.
“I don’t think I’d be here if it weren’t for him. This concert at the West Philippine Sea feels deeply P-Noy-coded,” Dee said.
As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, the Felix Oca was making its way back to Manila, still being shadowed by CCG 21549.
