Jose Mari Chan (Judel Jhon Cubelo's Facebook)

A member of the House Committee on Creative Industries says it's about time that Jose Mari Chan gets considered for the title of National Artist. 

According to Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, Chan--the man who composed and performed the immortal hit song "Christmas In Our Hearts"--is "very deserving" of the accolade with the way the song has remained relevant and cherished by Filipinos. 

"It is easy for us to take Mr. Chan for granted because of the jokes and memes online that have been associated with him whenever the holiday season starts each year. But that doesn't detract from the timelessly beautiful song that Mr. Chan gave us," Barbers said. 

Released way back in 1990, Christmas In Our Hearts has become so iconic that it gets as much air time as traditional Christmas songs in the Philippines during its famously lengthy holiday season. 

On social media sites, funny memes about Chan suddenly sprout around September each year, or when Christmas tunes start becoming inescapable to people's ears. 

Only Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" can rival Chan's song at around this time. 

"We tend to overlook the importance of the song he composed because it's like you're singing the bible story of Jesus--the most important human -God in the world during the time of the year that we should give him honor for saving us from sins," Barbers said. 

The veteran solon from Mindanao said that the country song will continue to be heard and enjoyed by countless more generations of Filipinos in the future. 

"For this, we should be grateful to Mr. Chan and I would say he is very deserving of the National Artist title. At the very least, he should be considered for it," he noted. 

"They simply don't make classc balladeers like him anymore. His songwriting genius and Filipino sensibilities  set him apart even during his heyday. Its only but proper to give Mr. Chan his flowers while he is still with us," Barbers said. 

Chan, 78, is dubbed the "King of Philippine Christmas Carols". He has other Christmas-themed songs aside from Christmas in Our Hearts. 

Barbers said he will ask Committee on Creative Industries Chairman Pangasinan 4th district Rep. Christopher de Venecia to join the call have Chan named as a National Artist. 

The Order of National Artists (Order ng Pambansang Alagad ng Sining) is the highest national recognition given to Filipino individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts, namely: music, dance, theater, visual arts, literature, film, broadcast arts, and architecture and allied arts. 

The order is jointly administered by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). It is conferred by the President of the Philippines upon recommendation by both institutions.