STATEMENT OF THE ORGANISASYON NG PILIPINONG MANG-AAWIT
ON ARNEL PINEDA’S SINGING OF THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

It is unfortunate that the victory of Filipino’s pride Manny Pacquiao in yesterday’s Welterweight Boxing Division championship fight has been marred by another controversy on the “improper” singing of the Philippine National Anthem – this time by internationally renowned Journey vocalist Arnel Pineda. 

The Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM) views the debate as another counterproductive exercise. While we stand by the National Historical Institute’s ardent defense of the law – however fraught with historical and artistic inconsistencies the law might be – we also stand by the Filipino artists’ right to creative expression and the dynamic evolution of artistic forms and creative processes. True, we should respect the Lupang Hinirang as one of the symbols of our national identity. But for the Filipinos to sing it “correctly”, we must be doubtlessly clarified on the veracity and correctness of the rules promulgated for its singing. The anthem, as we know it, was first sung without lyrics, which was only introduced decades after the anthem’s creation. This significant fact alone helps explain why the anthem’s singing is often “misinterpreted” not just by professional singers but a great number of our school teachers, students and citizens all over the country. 

OPM advocates an honest-to-goodness review of the historical, artistic and circumstantial bases for the “correct” singing of the National Anthem and the rules that govern this creative process. Only through participatory and consultative process – informed by facts of history, the creative process, and our sense of patriotism – could we arrive at a unified view on this controversy.