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Cristina Chi - Philstar.com
May 29, 2025 | 11:58am
The Atin Ito coalition onboard M/V Kapitan Felix Oca stages the first concert in the West Philippine Sea, May 28, 2025.
Atin Ito Coalition via Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine coalition that aims to normalize civilian activities in the West Philippine Sea completed its third mission there on Wednesday, May 28, shrugging off radio challenges from Chinese vessels to bring peace-loving musicians to the tense waterways.
The Atin Ito Coalition held the "first-ever sea concert" in the West Philippine Sea, performing just two nautical miles from Pag-asa Island aboard the M/V Kapitan Felix Oca. On their way there, Chinese vessels were spotted tailing their vessel within at least five nautical miles.
"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,” said Rafaela David, Atin Ito co-convenor
Rain forced the concert indoors to the vessel's bridge, where Filipino rap collective Morobeats, South Korean pop group I:Mond, P-pop sensation Hori7on, and artists from Indonesia and Malaysia performed overlooking Pag-asa Island.
The mission coincided with National Flag Day, prompting Atin to hold a "symbolic flag-raising ceremony" onboard the ship, just a short distance from Pag-asa Island."
"The moment served as a solemn and patriotic assertion of the nation’s presence in its own waters," the coalition said.
Atin Ito previously conducted two civilian-led resupply missions in the West Philippine Sea: first near Ayungin Shoal in December 2023 and then near Panatag Shoal in May 2024.
Prior to their departure on Monday, David extended an invitation for China to join their activity, saying "all countries should work together" to pursue peace in the West Philippine Sea.
China Daily — an English-language newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party — released content on Wednesday that framed Atin Ito's civilian mission as a government-led and United States-backed activity and a "desperate attempt to grab" the world's attention.
Reacting to the China Daily report, Philippine Coast Guard Spokesperson Jay Tarriela said the mission's success exposes China's dilemma in the disputed waters.
"The involvement of civil society and journalists in the West Philippine Sea has placed the PRC in a precarious situation," Tarriela said in an X post. "They find themselves unsure of how to respond: if they choose to act aggressively, they risk global condemnation; if they take a softer approach, it reveals their inability to effectively control these maritime regions."
Tarriela argued the mission proved "the PRC does not actually exercise direct control or administration over the waters of the West Philippine Sea and the broader South China Sea."
PCG vessels BRP Melchora Aquino and BRP Malapascua escorted Atin Ito's convoy from El Nido, Palawan to the vicinity of Pag-asa Island.
— Cristina Chi
