A Christmas that feels like coming home
The lights of Christmas may brighten the Palace grounds, but true progress comes from service meant for the Filipino people.
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The lights of Christmas may brighten the Palace grounds, but true progress comes from service meant for the Filipino people.
The First Family joined guests at Malacañang as they welcomed the holiday season in a night filled with nostalgia and celebration.
Photographs by Yummie Dingding and Patricia Ramirez for DAILY TRIBUNE
Alice Reyes Dance Philippines performed onstage with the Manila Symphony Orchestra, showcasing a tribute to classic Filipino Christmas stories.
Photographs by Yummie Dingding for DAILY TRIBUNE
Traditional puto bumbong and bibingka delighted guests, bringing the familiar flavors of Filipino Christmas to the palace celebration.
Concert king Martin Nievera set the tone for the evening with a holiday serenade before the tree lighting.
Photographs by Yummie Dingding for DAILY TRIBUNE
When kids are asked about Christmas, more often than not they immediately smile as they remember past gifts, Noche Buena and happy family moments. It is a season of reunions with home-cooked meals and the joy of giving presents, because each wrapped gift reflects not only the time or money spent but, more importantly, the thought behind the ribbons and bows.
On Sunday, 23 November, the Malacañang Palace grounds lit up not only through the displayed parols and Christmas lights but through the cheers of families, long-time friends, co-workers and the First Family as they welcomed the season through a tree lighting ceremony. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. attended the celebration with First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, their son Vincent Marcos, former First Lady Imelda Marcos and Presidential sister Irene Marcos Araneta with her family.
Before the ceremonial lighting, guests were treated to early performances from the PCSO Chorale followed by concert king Martin Nievera, setting a festive mood and building excitement as the crowd gathered.
It was truly a Pinoy Christmas as the event was filled with hearty regional favorites and comfort merienda such as taho, pan de sal with kesong puti and Chinese ham, pork barbecue, lechon, special palabok, tablea champorado, puto bumbong, bibingka, banana cue, empanada from Ilocos Sur, piyaya and napoleones from Bacolod and Molo soup from Iloilo.
Guests were overheard chatting about their childhood holiday memories and how these familiar dishes brought them back to their younger years, creating a warm and nostalgic atmosphere throughout the night.
“Christmas has a special meaning to Filipinos. That is why we celebrate it very seriously and really take your time out with family and be with loved ones. And there is an added dimension to that, because there are millions of Filipinos who are working and living abroad, Christmas is often the only time they can come back and be with their families,” President Marcos Jr. said during his message at the event.
As the country known worldwide for having the longest holiday season once the ber months arrive, Filipinos fill airports and terminals with balikbayan boxes and overdue homecomings. Years of missed milestones used to be shared through letters and now video calls, and so Filipinos hold on to Christmas with a longing to reconnect with Nanay who works in the medical field abroad, with fathers at sea or with relatives who save their best gifts for December after a year of hard work.
Guests enjoyed performances from the Alice Reyes Dance Philippines, accompanied by the Manila Symphony Orchestra and the Ryan Cayabyab Singers under the mentorship of National Artists Alice Reyes and Ryan Cayabyab.
With a nod to the familiar Panunuluyan play seen during Simbang Gabi, the program highlighted the heart of Pinoy Christmas culture. It was a night of shared stories, traditions passed down through generations and new memories created for the evolving times.
The celebration served as a reminder of what truly matters. The best lesson in everything happening in our country is the call to become a community again that places family at the center, where joy is best shared with the people we love. President Marcos also reminded everyone that this is the season to give back to our families, saying that we sometimes neglect them and forget the people closest to us.
And hopefully he, too, as President, gives the country the gift of not being neglected and show through real action how we can move forward as one.
The lights of Christmas may brighten the Palace grounds, but true progress comes from service meant for the Filipino people.
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