The Philippines has the longest holiday season in the world. As early as the first day of September, Christmas tunes start to dominate radio airwaves and malls, and children start rounding up houses and streets doing carolings. Bibingka and puto bungbong become best-sellers, and children selling ampaos roam the sidewalks and streets. Giant Christmas trees and similar christmas-themed parks start get lit up.
While these traditions strongly represent holiday symbols, Christmas is never really around the corner until the two giant TV Networks –ABS-CBN and GMA Network, that is– released their Christmas station ID’s.
Doing a station ID has never been GMA’s strongest suit, arguably and compared to its rival station, ABS-CBN, that is. It is worth noting, however, the incredible effort the network given to come up with meaningful station IDs in recent years.
This year, the Kapuso network imparts the true meaning of Christmas by showcasing ordinary people’s efforts to help one another.
Puso ng Pasko
The true meaning of Christmas lies in giving.When you give, you extend love to those who receive it, and by doing so, you yourself become the embodiment of Christmas. You become the ‘puso ng pasko’.
In this year’s station ID, GMA puts people from different walks of life, and their small but significant efforts to make lives around them, better, on spotlight.
Marian Rivera stresses emphasis on respect and how it should be given to anyone, regardless of their physical shortcomings.
Kapuso volunteers for the GMA Kapuso Foundation, a group of people doing charity works in places they visit as tourists, and another group who try to extend help to those affected by calamities, behind masks, are just some of the people that this year’s station ID featured to affirm its theme , “Puso ng Pasko”
800 Kapuso celebrities and GMA Network employees.
This year, the Kapuso Network gives equal importance to its ordinary employees and most prized talents. At least 800 celebrities and employees are put together in one music video to represent this year’s theme.
Like every year, it is almost customary to see the biggest stars in the opening and closing frames.
This year, veteran and highly-acclaimed news personality, Jessica Soho, opens ‘Puso ng Pasko’, practically cementing her place among GMA’s biggest talents.
Like in ABS-CBN’s ‘Family is Love’, GMA did not appoint a single artist to close this year station ID, opting to choose its biggest stars and most important personalities, together in the closing frame.
It is interesting, however, to note some of the artists given with significant space and importance in the music video, among them Alden Richards, Maine Mendoza, Marian Rivera, Atom Araullo, Jennilyn Mercado, Julie Ann San Jose and a roster of the network’s young singers.
The Song.
The point of reference of GMA Station ID’s success, has always been ABS-CBN’s, particularly ‘Star ng Pasko’. That may sound unfortunate and unfair to loyal Kapusos, but there is one way to look at it, positively.
Because of the challenge presented by the more popular kapamilya station ID theme songs, GMA has seemingly become more creative in coming up with a more impactful songs. Puso ng Pasko may not possess a different sentiment, but it surprisingly owns a much catchier tune.
It also helped that the network decided to tap its young singing talents, including The Clash‘s grand winner, Golden Cañedo, to sing this year’s theme song.
Watch the new GMA Network Christmas Station ID, below:
