Atin Ito launches rap contest to raise awareness on WPS issue

Composite image from INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — With China continuing to assert its claim over the West Philippine Sea, a civil society coalition has again urged the public to raise their voices in protest—this time by rapping.

The Atin Ito Coalition, which has led three civilian missions to the West Philippine Sea since 2023, launched on Monday the “Teritoryo: West Philippine Sea Online Rap Challenge.”

“The goal is simple. To make our call for sovereignty the hymn of the nation, for the rights of our fishers, and for the future of our country. When we sing, when we rap, we tell stories. We’re not just making art, we’re making history,” Atin Ito coconvenor and Akbayan Party president Rafaela “Paeng” David said in a press conference.

READ: Marcos: PH ships to stay in West PH Sea despite China’s provocations

“If we can make a dance, a TikTok trend, or a meme go viral, we can make the fight for the West Philippine Sea trend,” David added. “Let us make the world hear that we are not surrendering our seas. We are fighting for it.”

The contest, held in collaboration with musical rap artist Morobeats, called on Filipinos in the country and abroad to compose and perform original rap verses that are one minute long.

Entries must use the instrumental of Morobeats’ hit track “Teritoryo,” and should be posted on social media sites such as TikTok, Facebook and Instagram reels, and YouTube Shorts, with the hashtags #TeritoryoRapChallenge and #WPSAtinIto and the tags @Morobeats and @AtinIto. Participants must also follow the two groups on all social media platforms.

Three winners will be chosen five days after the challenge, which will run for one month. Judging will be based mostly on lyrical content and message, amounting to 40 percent; originality and creativity, 30 percent; performance and delivery, 20 percent; and audience engagement,10 percent. /cb