Star ng Pasko
"Star ng Pasko" is a Filipino-language Christmas song produced by ABS-CBN Creative Communications Management for the network's 2009–2010 Christmas station identification titled "Bro, Ikaw ang Star ng Pasko". The song was released on November 4, 2009.
Concept
Written by lyricist Robert G. Labayen and composers Marcus and Amber Davis, it serves as a Christmas message of hope, unity, and thankfulness to God for Filipinos in the wake of the disasters caused by Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. The use of the nickname "Bro" to refer to God comes from the dialogue of the lead character Santino, portrayed by Zaijian Jaranilla in the hit television series May Bukas Pa, which was the most popular program in the Philippines in 2009.The original concept for the station ID was “Dumadaloy Ang Liwanag”, according to production manager Danie Sedilla, but was revised after Ondoy and Pepeng's onslaught. Robert Labayen rewrote the song to be more inspirational in light of the aforementioned tragedies, recalling how he was "crying while writing on the roof deck". Star ng Pasko was also the first ABS-CBN Christmas station ID to use a Contemporary R&B beat.
"Star ng Pasko" was unveiled as part of the station ID on November 4, 2009, and became an immediate success among Filipinos. Approximately 200 personalities who are under ABS-CBN were involved in the production of "Bro, Ikaw ang Star ng Pasko," including KC Concepcion, Piolo Pascual, Billy Crawford, Aiza Seguerra, Nina, Jed Madela, Mark Bautista, Rachelle Ann Go and Sarah Geronimo among others. Shooting for the station ID lasted for seven days, and some scenes, including the opening, were shot in Brgy. Banaba, San Mateo, which was one of the areas affected by Typhoon Ondoy.
This station ID also marked Dolphy's last ABS-CBN station ID appearance, and the first time John Lloyd Cruz and Angel Locsin appeared together in one frame.
Legacy
In the years since the song's release, it is often considered the most popular Christmas station ID song of ABS-CBN. In 2010, the station ID won a Silver Award for Best Media Initiated Campaign at the 4th Tambuli Awards. Labayen himself considers the song to be his career's best work. It was also nominated for Best Christmas Recording at the 2010 Awit Awards.Due to the success of Star ng Pasko, the musical tune originally used in the 2002 Isang Pamilya, Isang Puso, Ngayong Pasko and its lyrics continued to be used in ABS-CBN's succeeding Christmas Station IDs. These include the 2010–2011 Ngayong Pasko Magniningning Ang Pilipino, which features Filipino nationalism and patriotism with montages highlighting Pinoy pride, the University of Santo Tomas to coincide its three-year quadricentennial celebration from December 18, 2009 to January 27, 2012, and the Philippine flag's sun as the star making it an octagram or eight-sided star that was also used on an earlier version of 2011–2012's Da Best ang Pasko ng Pilipino from September 29 to October 16, 2011; the 2017–2018 Just Love Ngayong Christmas, representing ABS-CBN's colors in the musical tune after the first bridge; the 2019–2020 Family is Forever, incorporating lyrics from previous IDs to commemorate ABS-CBN's year-long 65th anniversary celebration and 10th anniversary of Star ng Pasko
The main distinction between Star ng Pasko itself and its four succeeding station IDs is that the 2009–2010 includes both the ABS-CBN and its slogan "The Philippines’ Largest Network” jingle, while the said succeeding IDs only use the network's jingle at the end.