U2 celebrates Filipino women in first Manila concert

FILE: Irish rock band U2 (Photo: U2Start/Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

Popular Irish rock band U2 performed for the first time in the Philippines for their “The Joshua Tree World Tour” in the Philippine Arena on December 11, honoring notable Filipino women, Red Cross volunteers, and activists in their encore stage.

U2 dedicated their song “Ultraviolet (Light My Way)” to the women all over the world, while a video displaying the faces of famous Filipino women which include former president Corazon Aquino, broadway actress Lea Salonga, Senator Pia Cayetano, and journalist Maria Ressa among others.

“Human rights churn out human wrongs, that’s a beautiful day. When sisters around the world go to school with their brothers, that’s a beautiful day. When journalists don’t have to worry about what they write, that’s a beautiful day. When women of the world unite to rewrite history as herstory, that is a beautiful day,” says Bono, after performing “Beautiful Day”.

The band also acknowledged women’s rights movements Grrrl Gang Manila, One Billion Rising, #Babae Ako Movement, and Red Cross volunteers, in which U2 frontman Bono shares that the concert was free for the volunteers.

The lead vocalist also praised Ressa several times, to whom he dedicated “Ultraviolet (Light My Way)” from their 1991 album “Achtung Baby”.

“Women who light up history, your own Maria Ressa is an incredible woman. But even Maria will say it’s not about individuals. It’s about collective action. It’s about social movement so that all of you will grow up to be the president or Maria Ressa,” the singer said.

In a post on her Twitter profile, Ressa expressed her gratitude to the band, saying, “Thank you,  @U2 !! #U2Manila #U2TheJoshuaTree2019 for the inspiration, the love to help #HoldTheLine & #ShineTheLight.”

Thank you, @U2!! #U2Manila #U2TheJoshuaTree2019 for the inspiration, the love to help #HoldTheLine & #ShineTheLight https://t.co/6Bl8EXOO3b

— Maria Ressa (@mariaressa) December 11, 2019

Salonga also shared on her Twitter page her gratitude to the band for being one of the women that they honored during their concert.

Woke up this morning to at least ten messages with photos because my photo was on the projection wall during U2’s Ultra Violet. Wow, I am dead. Thank you for those messages, friends, and thank you, U2 for including me! Honored!

— Lea Salonga (@MsLeaSalonga) December 12, 2019

During the concert, the Irish rock band’s lead vocalist stated that if he is not a singer, he would be a journalist. He is also known to speak about the safety of journalists and press freedom.

“Also in our prayers, let’s keep the journalists, the truth-tellers, the activists who keep this country spiritually safe. We salute you. Truth-tellers, everyday heroes. Let’s see our lights, let’s see out stars in the middle of the sky,” he added.