Ang Pasko ang pinakapaboritong okasyon ni Martin Nievera.
Pero higit na importante sa kanyang magkasama sila ng bunso niyang anak na si Santino tuwing Pasko.
Si Santino ay na-diagnose na may Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) noong two and a half years old pa lamang siya
“It’s very important ‘coz, first of all, Santino doesn’t understand the situation where his mom and I are not together,” sagot ni Martin nang itanong ng Cabinet Files ang dahilan ng taun-taon at walang palyang pagsasama nila ni Santino sa araw ng kapanganakan ni Hesus Kristo.
Paliwanag ni Martin: “Santino doesn’t understand that also the other part that you’re supposed to be a family during Christmas.
“For Santino, you’re supposed to be a family every day of the year, which we’re not. So if I’m not there for Christmas, malalaman niya na something’s wrong.
“So for every day of his life, so at every Christmas of his life, his twenty-year life, I’ll be there.
"Even If arrived Christmas eve, dapat nandoon yung tatay.
“Christmas and birthday, I havent’t failed. As much as possible, I haven’t failed so far."
Pagpapatuloy ng singer: “But I think he’s old enough to fail once in a while, he’s not supposed to understand, right?
“But his mentality is still not that, of an older person. He’s got still a ten-year-old, 12-year-old mentality.
"So he doesn’t understand, 'Where the hell is dad?'
“So you have to give him a date, of the arriving, on this day, at this time.
"He will put it down in his calendar and he will countdown the days.”
Read: Why Martin Nievera always visits son Santino in the U.S.
A VERY LONG THREE MONTHS
Tatlong buwan nang hindi nagkikita ang mag-ama, at napakatagal na panahon na ito para kay Martin.
“It’s already been three months that I’ve not been to the state, Las Vegas, so it’s already too long.
"It’s usually every other month but I’ve been getting so busy that I’m here [Philippines] a lot.
"I’m in Australia, I’m in so many places. So it’s very important,” sabi ni Martin.
Aminado si Martin na maraming beses na siyang pumalya sa dalawang anak nila ng kanyang dating asawa na si Pops Fernandez, sina Robin at Ram, kaya may payo at paalaala siya sa mga magulang.
Aniya: “Robin and Ram, maraming palya, marami. Maraming beses na.
"But with them, Robin and Ram, I was like it was okay, na only to find out later it was not okay.
“So parents out there, if you’re going to the same situation I’m going through, it’s very important that you…
“Or even sometimes, I’ll do an early Christmas.
"We’ll celebrate Christmas on December 18 here in the Philippines, everybody, which we’re gonna do with Pops, Finn, Robin, and Ram.
“We’ll have early Christmas here and then Martin flies to Las Vegas to Santino so problem solved.
"The one celebrating on December 18, my first family, they understand.”
MARTIN'S CHRISTMAS SONG COMPOSED BY ALESSIO BENVENUTI
Nakausap ng Cabinet Files si Martin nang ilunsad nito ang bagong Christmas song niya, ang “Christmas in Manila,” na komposisyon ng Italian maestro na si Alessio Benvenuti.
Si Alessio ang concert master ng Manila Symphony Orchestra.
Humanga siya nang husto kay Martin nang magkasama sila sa isang pagtatanghal
Ang mga karanasan ni Alessio sa pagdiriwang ng Pasko sa Pilipinas ang naging inspirasyon nito para gumawa ng kanta.
Ang “Christmas in Manila” ang pagbibigay-pugay niya sa mga Pilipino na ipinakanta nito kay Martin.
Read: Martin Nievera learns to let go after US$3,000 airline incident