It was written as a tribute to Filipino resistance during the Japanese occupation in World War II.
During the war, Japanese troops in the Philippines attempted to popularize self-glorifying songs such as "Chichi Yo Anata Wa Tsuyokatta" ("Father, You Were Brave" in English).
[1] Berlin himself gave the first performance of "Heaven Watch the Philippines" in Tolosa, Leyte, in 1946, in front of an audience that included Sergio Osmeña and Carlos P.
Touched by that and feeling that they might like a song of their own, he composed "Heaven Watch the Philippines", trying to combine the spiritual quality of "God Bless America" with their feeling for America and desire to be free.
[4] In a 1987 interview with Playboy, Imelda Marcos falsely claimed that Berlin had written "Heaven Watch the Philippines" specifically for her.