The 2018 ABS-CBN Christmas station ID sets aside the traditional and outdated idea of the family for something much more: inclusivity.
The music video for the song titled “Family is Love” shows this clearly. The 13-minute video, which premiered in the November 18 episode of ASAP Natin ‘To, features the stories of different Filipino families.
There’s the Noblezada family, a normal Filipino family with two parents and a set of children. Then there are other more complex models of families, like the residents of a town ravaged by Typhoon Ompong, or the occupants of Talim Island, who have welcomed a foreign doctor into their hearts.
The video features more than 400 Kapamilya stars singing to the theme song. Yes, they are only connected because they are celebrities who work under the same network, but they are also strong as a family unit.
These stars include Piolo Pascual, Sam Milby, Jericho Rosales, Pia Wurtzbach, Gerald Anderson, Kim Chiu, Anne Curtis, Richard Gutierrez, Aljur Abrenica, Angel Locsin, Toni Gonzaga, Coco Martin, Iza Calzado, Lito Lapid, Robi Domingo, Daniel Matsunaga, Loisa Andalio, Matteo Guidicelli, and Carlo Aquino.
Also present are popular Kapamilya love teams Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo, James Reid and Nadine Lustre, Maymay Entrata and Edward Barber, Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto, as well as Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano.
The song itself highlights the best vocalists of the Kapamilya Network: Sarah Geronimo, Yeng Constantino, KZ Tandingan, Vice Ganda, Billy Crawford, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Martin Nieverra, Gary Valenciano, and Ogie Alcasid.
ABS-CBN also makes full use of former Kapuso Regine Velasquez, who gets the lion's share of the spotlight in this Christmas station ID.
PEOPLE YOU CALL FAMILY
The song is touching. It establishes the idea that you can also call family the people you care about and who care for you, even if you did not grow up with them, or are not related to them by blood. As long as there is love in the relationship—whether friends, colleagues, org-mates and more—you can consider them as part of your family.
This modern idea is heartwarming. In a world where families are torn apart by tragedies, whether natural or man-made, or disagreements caused by old-fashioned value systems, it is nice to hear that someone who lost a family can still build one of their own.
The song tackled inclusivity from the very first verse because it opened with Vice Ganda. This is important because Vice is currently the most visible representative of the LGBTQ+ community, whose members are normally the ones who experience being ostracized by their own family.
Vice Ganda’s opening lines drive this point home. He sings, “Paulit-ulit ang kahapon, binaon tayo sa hamon.” In essence, anyone who has faced trials and lost their family, whether via exclusion or other trials, should not worry because they soon will find a new family to call their own.
The music video featured families like these. There are the victims of Typhoon Ompong, which ravaged several towns last September, resulting into several deaths.
A resident in the video said he found a family in fellow survivors. He noted, “Sama-sama na babangon. Dun mo talaga mararamdaman na we are one family.”
Then there’s this foreign female physician, Dra. Villarija, who decided to stay in Talim Island to help residents who severely need healthcare assistance because there is no clinic or hospital in the vicinity.
The residents are thankful and consider her a part of their family. “It’s not just about blood families,” she said.
Another heartwarming scene is that of Cebuana skateboarder and Asian Games Gold medalist Margielyn Didal, who thanked her family for supporting her and accepting her sexuality. “As an LGBT member din, tanggap ako ng parents ko.”
Notable, too, are scenes featuring celebrities themselves. Regine Velasquez is welcomed and accepted by other Kapamilya stars, even if she just moved to the Kapamilya Network weeks ago.
She even sings key parts of the song.
One other remarkable scene takes place toward the end of the video where old friends Vice Ganda and Coco Martin lock in a tight embrace. Whether truly meant or simply a TV moment, this subtly answers persistent rumors that the two have been fighting since late last year, after their run-in at the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival.
The video concludes with the theme emblazoned on-screen: Family is Love. There’s no reason to celebrate Christmas without family, because as the ABS-CBN music video says perfectly, family is who you choose to love you.
What did you think of the ABS-CBN Christmas station ID for 2018? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Ed's Note: The "PEP Review" section carries the views of individual reviewers, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the PEP editorial team.
(CLICK HERE to read commentary on GMA-7's 2018 Christmas station ID)