The Philippine House of Representatives has approved a bill making enthusiastic singing of the national anthem compulsory. Pray for Our Family! ???

[Bible Speaks]

Our brothers in the Philippines need our prayers... they are under a lot of pressure...

May Jehovah give them faith and courage to endure ?

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Philippines to make enthusiastic singing of national anthem mandatory

27 June 2017 From the section

Asia

The Philippine House of Representatives has approved a bill making enthusiastic singing of the national anthem compulsory.

"The singing shall be mandatory and must be done with fervour," the bill states. The word "mandatory" is not in the existing legislation.

It also provides official music for the tune, which must be adhered to.

Punishment for breaking the rules could include a fine of 50,000-100,000 pesos (£780-£1,560; $2,800-$5,590).

That fine is substantially more than the current minimum and maximum of 5,000-20,000 pesos (£78-£312).

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40415778

 

[Bible Speaks]

Philippines May Get New Law: Sing National Anthem With Spirit or Face Prison Time 

Filipinos on Pag-asa — also known as Thitu Island, in the South China Sea — sang the Philippine national anthem in April.

ERIK DE CASTRO / REUTERS

By DANIEL VICTOR

JUNE 27, 2017

Filipinos would be required to sing the national anthem when it is played in public — and to do so with enthusiasm — under a bill that the House of Representatives of the Philippines approved on Monday.

If the bill, which will be considered by the Senate, is approved and signed into law, a failure to sing the anthem, “Lupang Hinirang,” with sufficient energy would be punishable by up to year in prison and a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 pesos, or about $1,000 to $2,000. A second offense would include both a fine and prison time, and violators would be penalized by “public censure” in a newspaper.

“The singing shall be mandatory and must be done with fervor,” the bill states.

The law would also mandate the tempo of any public performance of the anthem — it must fall between 100 and 120 beats per minute. Schools would be required to ensure all students have memorized the song.

It’s not unusual for a nation to value its national anthem — see the uproar over Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand during the anthem before N.F.L. games — but it is rare for respect to be legally required.

The Supreme Court in India ruled in November that movie theaters would be required to play the national anthem before screenings, and that moviegoers would be required to stand. Nineteen people were arrested in December after failing to stand in two separate incidents, according to The Los Angeles Times.

The court specified in February it was unnecessary to stand if the anthem was played as part of a film, an issue that arose after reports that people were assaulted for not rising, according to The Times of India.

In Thailand, the national anthem is played at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. each day on loudspeakers in places like schools, offices buildings, parks and train stations. People are expected to stand still and be silent. In 2007, Thai lawmakers considered a bill that would require motorists to stop their cars when the national anthem was played, but it was not passed.

The royal anthem — which is a separate song considered a tribute to the monarchy — is played before entertainment events like movies and concerts, and failing to pay respects can have greater consequences. A Thai man and woman were charged with lèse-majesté — offending the dignity of the monarch — after not standing as the anthem was played in a movie theater in September 2007, according to the United States State Department. The charges, which are punishable by up to 15 years in prison, were dropped in 2012.

Another moviegoer was sentenced to three years in prison under the same law for not standing during the royal anthem in 2008, according to Prachatai English. Her jail term was cut in half and suspended for two years after she pleaded guilty.

Last week, Chinese lawmakers drafted laws to restrict where the national anthem can be played and crack down on malicious revisions or derogatory performances, according to The South China Morning Post. Violations would be punishable by up to 15 days in detention.

While there are no binding laws in the United States related to the national anthem, the flag code says people should “stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart” during the national anthem. If a flag is not present, people “should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed there.”

But in 1942, a man and a woman in Chicago were charged with disorderly conduct and fined $200 each for failing to stand during the anthem at a theater. They said a picture shown just before the anthem related to war efforts “did not put them in the right mood,” The New York Times reported.

Correction: June 28, 2017

An earlier version of this article misstated the anthem that is often played before entertainment events in the Philippines. It is the royal anthem, not the national anthem, that precedes such events.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/06/27/world/asia/philippines-may-get-new-law-sing-national-anthem-with-spirit-or-face-prison-time.html

[Bible Speaks]

MANILA — The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading the measure updating the rules on the correct rendition of the national anthem Lupang Hinirang, and requiring everyone to sing along when it is played in public.

House Bill No. 5224 also seeks to impose stiff penalties of P50,000 to P100,000 on “any person who, or entity which violates any provision” of the proposed law—much heftier than the P5,000 to P20,000 fine provided for by the current Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines.

Under the proposed measure, singing along when the anthem is played at public gatherings “shall be mandatory and must be done with fervor.” It may be noted the current flag code, enacted in 1998, did not use the word “mandatory” when it directed public attendees to sing along during gatherings.

As a sign of respect, all persons must stand at attention facing the Philippine flag, if displayed, or the band or conductor; civilians salute the flag with their right palm over the left chest.

But, the House bill also seeks to provide leeway for people whose religious beliefs prohibit them from singing. The current flag code did not contain any provision, while the House measure states these people “must, nonetheless, show full respect… by standing at attention.”

The House bill also seeks to standardize the proper rendition of Lupang Hinirang in accordance with the musical arrangement and composition of Julian Felipe: in 2/4 beat when played, and within the range of 100 to 120 metronome, in 4/4 beat when sang.

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines will also be mandated to disseminate an official musical score sheet to reflect the correct way of singing the anthem.

The proposed flag code will also oblige the Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to “ensure that the national anthem… shall be committed to memory by all students” of public and private schools.

The House bill also strikes out the current flag code’s prohibition on the display of the Philippine flag in front of “buildings and offices occupied by aliens.”

Under the proposed law, failure to observe the rules on the proper rendition of the anthem and display of national symbols will also lead to administrative discipline for the employees of all government offices and privately-owned entities displaying the flag.

The House announced the development in a Monday statement. With the approval of the law on third and final reading via a unanimous vote of 212-0, the measure now moves to the Senate for consideration.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/908866/house-approves-p100k-fine-for-wrong-singing-of-national-anthem#ixzz4li3ZPHQ0

[Onah uchenna]

Jehovah will surely give our dear  brothers the thinking ability to survive this threat.  I pray for them.

[Bible Speaks]

5 hours ago, Onah uchenna said:

Jehovah will surely give our dear  brothers the thinking ability to survive this threat.  I pray for them.

@Onah uchenna The last post exempts Jehovah's Witnesses. Time will tell. We do stand to show honor, just like in the past when flag salute was done in schools. We just stood showing honor but did not salute.Now, that's done away with in schools here in the USA. Another ploy of Satan to dismantle and stress God's people. No fear, Jehovah is near! Thank you for your support! Agape,

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