Da Best ang Pasko ng Pilipino (ABS-CBN Christmas SID 2011) - An Insider's Story

Everytime we do a Christmas Station ID, we embark on a journey. A journey to show, albeit in a different and special way, how Filipinos celebrate the most special and most anticipated holiday of the year. A journey of brain-torturing to squeeze out the remaining creative juices that we have, to give Filipinos a treat for Christmas, our own version of maagang pamasko... A journey to enjoin Filipinos, as one family, to look forward to Christmas. If Christmas is a ritual and tradition, doing a Christmas SID has become the same in our creative division. Everytime we do the ID we venture into a different kind of adventure.

SID team members at work

The RNG Team

This year, we want to show why we have the best Christmas. And we need not rack our brains to drive this point. I, for one, believe that you haven't really experienced THE Christmas if you haven't experienced it here in the Philippines. We don't just celebrate it the longest, I also feel we prepare for it the hardest. In other words, "kinakareer natin ang Pasko." Filipinos around the globe would admit, that if they can't make it home in time for the celebrations, at least they'll try to re-create a semblance of it wherever they are in the world.

It is the one holiday wherein we really think of our loved ones. How we can spend time with them or surprise them or give something to them. We think of gifts, surprises, catch up times, moments of reconnections just to show how much they mean to us. And I think, Filipinos are special this way. The way we value our relationships, both familial and communal, is probably one of our admirable traits.

Yearly, ABS-CBN's Creative Communications Management (CCM) Division go through the same process of crafting the ID. Doing it for the past how many years, we often ask "Ano pa ba ang hindi natin nasasabi at nagagawa tungkol sa Paskong Pinoy?" But just the same we don't settle. Year in and year out, we still try to come up with something different. In a span of almost 10 years of delighting our audience with the Station ID, three things have remained the same. One, our goal to touch the hearts of Filipinos here and around the globe; two, to make them remember what good stuff we're made of; and three, make them feel happy and proud.

So, what makes this Christmas Station ID different from the rest? For one, we passed through a needle hole to ensure that we have authentic shots of Filipinos abroad. Two three-man teams were deployed to cover two areas - Japan and Los Angeles. Tenacity and passion kept us going. It wasn't easy but it was a fun and enriching ride.

The Japan Team in Tokyo

One group went to Tokyo, Japan for Piolo Pascual. Right smack in the middle of Shibuya Crossing, they mounted his scene. Imagine the chaos of people crossing left and right and the team was caught up in the middle, without any security. But the plan went along just fine.

The LA team with JLC and people from ABS-CBN Global at the Universal Studios

Our team went to Los Angeles to shoot John Lloyd Cruz, Jed Madela, Angeline Quinto, Marcelito Pomoy, Coco Martin, Julia Montes and Kathryn Bernardo. They're doing a show at the Universal Studios and the schedule was too tight. Just the same, we were given specific times to do our frames. John Lloyd's frame was shot even before the Universal Studios opened. For Jed, Angeline and Marcelito, on the spot, we requested a group of Filipinos to sing the ID's theme with them. The next day, we transported Coco, Kathryn and Julia to a Filipino home in Santa Clarita, Los Angeles to shoot their frames. Our Filipino hosts were very gracious, they cooked all our food props and they invited their friends over to be our talents.

At Santa Clarita, Los Angeles

On top of meeting accommodating Filipinos along the way, we were blessed to have good Kapamilya stars on our side. Below are my Top 10 list of DA BEST experiences with our Kapamilya actors and actresses while shooting the SID. If you're expecting hundreds of stars, moments of lightness, kindness and comfort are most appreciated. Please bear in mind that this list reflects my own personal opinion based on my own personal experiences. Also, none of the stars knew me personally. And the items here don't come in any particular order.

1. John Lloyd Cruz was feeling sick but he still went on to do his shoot at the exact time that we were supposed to do them.

2. Ann Curtis, in the middle of a crowded NAIA Terminal 3, didn't use her designated room, instead sat down with us, mortals, smiling and waving and accommodating every fan's request to take her pictures.

3. Ted Failon, Korina Sanchez and Noli de Castro for sticking it out with us, even if it was raining cats and dogs. Because we can't afford to pack-up our shoot, we requested them to wait for almost an hour for the rain to stop and they obliged with no complaints.

4. Karen Davila and Ces Drilon for traveling all the way to Manila after a heavy downpour and after their stint in Bandila, and for doing their frames quickly.

5. Zanjoe Marudo and Bea Alonzo, their frames were taken right after each other but they sat down quietly waiting for each other to finish. Nothing loud. Nothing fancy. No PDA. Not even holding hands. But you feel it. It's there. Love is in the air.

6. Tirso Cruz, Mylene Dizon and Zsazsa Padilla for being the happy trio. No pretension. They truly enjoy each other's company.

7. Diether Ocampo glows when he's with children. For this ID, he was with his Kid's Foundation and by the way he deals with these children, you'll sense his mission and purpose.

8. Karylle arrived earlier than Christian Baustista. They were supposed to be together in a frame. While waiting, a lady approached her for a spiel. Sobrang daling kausap. Without much prodding, she put on the shirt that she was supposed to wear, stood in front of the camera and fired her spiel away.

9. When Coco Martin's name was called at the Universal Studios' Gibson Theater during the One Kapamilya Go event of TFC, Filipinos were in frenzy. And when he came down from the stage, he was swarmed. Dumog talaga! I was impressed as to how he held his composure. The ladies and some gentlemen were hugging him, pinching him, pulling him and kissing him but he just stood there. The security personnel had a hard time securing him. They needed to squeeze themselves in to ensure Coco's safety but he didn't even move a finger to push people away. After two tiring shows, he was still on time and on the go for his SID frames early next day.

HuLAs in LAX

10. I'm a Boy Abunda fan. When I got near him, I hugged him and he hugged me back. I don't know if it was just me but I felt his sincerity for a nameless creature like me. Also, he's very quick. Tell him what you want and he'll do it twice, then you're done.

This is my Boy!

By far, we feel, this was the most ambitious SID that we've ever done and by the Youtube comments, we're very happy that our efforts paid off. We wouldn't have done it if not for the consolidated efforts of different ABS-CBN units. And the hardworking creative people of CCM.

Nakaraos na naman kami. More than a hundred stars. In various locations, inside and outside the country. The most number of shooting days. Todo na 'to! In terms of production values, Da Best na ito. We hope that our viewers had fun watching it but more than that, I also hope that they can believe in their hearts, what the SID is meaning to say to all of us. That we have a lot of good things to offer, not just to our loved ones but to the world. Maligayang Pasko po sa inyong lahat.

PS. I would like to thank Edsel Misenas for all the photos here (except the one in Japan) and Rinns Tobb Nordborg (c/o Trina Sanchez) for the Japan Team's photo. Also, let me say this with much gratefulness, the CCM Division is a creative playground for many creatives like me. But it's also a home for what I consider the best creative friends one can find. Thank you Edsel, Trina, and Paolo for the two months that we stood by each other to make all of these happen. It was crazy, but it was good. And thank you, Robert Labayen, for believing that we should and can do this.

PS2. Thank you to the men and women of the SID team. Here's the official press release.

The song Da Best Ang Pasko ng Pilipino was written by Robert Labayen, with music composed and produced by Jimmy Antiporda for Star Records. It was performed by 11-year old Filipino-Canadian You Tube sensation Maria Aragon, together with the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus, and joined by more than a hundred Kapamilya stars from ABS-CBN Entertainment, News and Current Affairs ad Regional Network Group TV personalities, ANC and DZMM anchors; and Tambayan 101.9 DJs and kapamilya from The Filipino Community worldwide.

The 2011 ABS-CBN Christmas SID was created by ABS-CBN Creative Communications Management headed by Robert Labayen, Johnny de los Santos, Ira Zabat and Patrick De Leon, together with ABS-CBN Marketing, ABS-CBN Global The Filipino Channel of North America and Japan.

The SID was conceptualized by creative team members Edsel Misenas, Lloyd Corpuz, Peewee Gonzales, Paolo Ramos, Oliver Paler. Production team members are Danie Sedilla-Cruz, Kathrina Sanchez, Edsel Misenas, Dang Baldonado, Christina Barbin, Cidge Laxamana, Carla Payongayong, Christian Faustino, Mark Bravo. It is directed by Paolo Ramos. Other members are Peewee Gonzales, Assistant Director; Patricia Daza, Head for Artist Relations; Jimmy Porca, Project Coordinator; Jun Aves, Cinematographer; Oliver Paler, Post-Production Head; John-D Lazatin, Pia Lopezbanos-Carrion, Jeremiah Ysip, Javier Anaya, Enrique Olives, Jay Gagarin, TFC Production Team; Ikit Garcia, Pat Villafuerte, Marife Perez, RNG Coordinators; Rap Dela Rea, Editor; Alfie Landayan, Motion Graphics Artist; Sam Esquillon, Production Designer; Aileen Gooco, Photographer; Me-Ann Rejano, Talent Caster; Marvin Bragas, Location Manager; Dante San Pedro, Sound Engineer.