EDITORIAL - We don’t need a song

A music video titled “Iisang Dagat” is now making its rounds in social media and is also available for viewing on YouTube.

It is a collaboration between Filipino and Chinese artists and billed as a tribute to frontliners in the fight against COVID-19.

According to Philstar.com, it was Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian who wrote the lyrics of the song, which was performed by Chinese diplomat Xia Wenxin, Filipino-Chinese singer Jhonvid Bangayan, Chinese actor Yubin, and Camarines Sur Governor Imelda Papin.

Let’s not focus on the musical value of the video. With so many ways to interpret and appreciate music, there is no right or wrong where it comes to enjoying or not being able to enjoy a song.

However, as for the other message the video carries, especially the images, there are those who cannot help but view the video as a mere propaganda tool by China in an effort to make itself look good after the blunders it has committed that led to the global pandemic.

The video’s title is also a poor choice of words. We all know that China is claiming most of the ocean between us and them, and that the Philippines and China are still at a dispute. “Iisang Dagat”, literally meaning “One Sea” and implying we all share the same ocean, totally runs counter to what China is doing in the waters that belong to the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines; building military bases on islands there.

Don’t get us wrong, we are not saying we don’t appreciate China’s aid to us in these difficult times. Actually, we can see how much our government is struggling. But there is something more that China can do, not just to help the Philippines but also the rest of the world; be transparent about the origins of the virus.

More than PPEs, face masks, and other forms of aid, or a song that no one seems to appreciate, the world needs to know about the origins of the virus --and we are not saying it’s manufactured, there’s no evidence for this despite all the rumors-- so a cure can be quickly developed and distributed.

We don’t need a song from China, especially one that seems to touch a very sensitive nerve among Filipinos. We have our own singers, songwriters, and performers --most likely even better than theirs. What we need most from China is information about the virus.