Coco Martin’s viral gestures in the 2025 (left) and 2024 (right) Christmas ID recordings, both for the phrase “Love, joy, hope”. ABS-CBN screen grabMANILA – ABS-CBN primetime king Coco Martin playfully saying and gesturing the words “Love, joy, hope!” emerged as the unlikely meme from the recording video of the Kapamilya 2024 Christmas ID “Our Stories Shine This Christmas”.
Much so that the viral clip inspired the title and even the steps for this year’s song (not to mention “Tanggol” again going viral for the same phrase).
But it took the theme from a two-decade-old ABS-CBN Christmas ID–2004’s “Sabay Tayo, Kapamilya”–to complete the idea and message: “Love, Joy, Hope: Sabay Tayo Ngayong Pasko”.
And true to its title, the 2025 anthem and music video brought together voices, ideas, music, and more importantly, people to depict how the media company continues to create connections after all these years.
It can be seen in the collab of veteran and up-and-coming composers and the milestone of having the Christmas ID’s case studies or focal personalities heard as singers alongside the all-star ensemble.
Kapamilya singer and 15-time Christmas ID vocalist Sarah Geronimo and “Love, Joy, Hope ambassador” Fr. Errol Fidel Mananquil are briefed by director Paolo Ramos for their duet portion shoot in the ABS-CBN 2025 Christmas ID. Photo by Edsel Masinas
“Nababagay din 'yung theme ngayong taong ito, kasi andaming pinagdadaanan ng bansa natin,” said Robert Labayen, head of ABS-CBN’s Creative Communications Management (CCM) and co-writer (with CCM exec Jay Santiago) of this year’s song–Labayen's 16th lyric credit for the Christmas IDs.
“Kailangan natin ng hope–may pag-asa na things will get better. Kailangan natin magkaroon ng joy kahit na hindi perfect ang panahon. So angkop na angkop. Of course, love is always there. Para magka-joy tayo, kailangan meron tayong love.”
(The theme is fitting for this year because our nation is enduring a lot. We need hope that things will get better. We need to have joy even if our situation is not perfect. So it’s really apt. Of course, love is always there. For us to have joy, we need to have love.)
Reviving “Sabay Tayo” was a reminder from ABS-CBN to its audiences that despite the challenges and years they remain in sync with each other, Labayen added.
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2004 MEETS 2025
The CCM team’s initial proposal was to revive the 2004 song in full.
“Pero sabi ng mga boss natin–ni Carlo Katigbak at ni Cory Vidanes–i-mash up na lang natin sa bago, kasi moving forward tayo, hindi na tayo looking back. So nagsama ‘yung nakaraan at ang future dito sa kantang ito,” Labayen said.
(But our bosses, [President and CEO] Carlo Katigbak and [COO] Cory Vidanes, instead said let’s mash it up with a new song–since we are moving forward, no longer looking back. So the past and future came together in this song.)
(2nd left to right) Raizo Chabeldin, Biv De Vera, Robert Labayen, Jessie Lasaten, and Jay Santiago, the composers of the 2004 and 2025 ABS-CBN Christmas ID songs, form the “love” sign as they pose together with the author (left) at the recording studio. Photo by Edsel Misenas
This is not the first Christmas ID to do a callback to previous ones. “Family is Forever” in 2019 famously brought back the 2009 hit “Bro, Ikaw ang Star ng Pasko” on its 10th anniversary, along with snippets of Christmas jingles from the years in between.
However, the period between 2025 and 2004 is over 20 years–a difference in musical styles and arrangers.
It was admittedly one of the challenges faced by Raizo Chabeldin and Biv De Vera, the composers of “Love, Joy, Hope”.
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ABS-CBN 2025 Christmas ID music composers Raizo Chabeldin (left) and Biv De Vera (center) brief singer Ogie Alcasid before his recording session. Photo by Edsel Misenas
They had to integrate the 2004 pop rock tune (by Labayen and Berkeley-trained composer Jessie Lasaten) with their pop R&B arrangement which sounded closer to “Star ng Pasko”.
With an SOS from fellow music producer Kikx Salazar (co-composer of the 2023 CID “Pasko ang Pinakamagandang Kwento”), “Sabay Tayo’s” chorus was weaved into the song, this time as a refrain.
“Very fulfilling for me, the fact na napagsama ‘yung dalawang magkaibang mundo na kanta (that we were able to combine two songs from different worlds),” Chabeldin said.
Lasaten, meanwhile, felt nostalgic and grateful listening to the rearrangement for the first time.
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“Sabi ko, wow, fresh pa rin. Iba pa rin. Maganda pa rin. And I, I'm honored na, ano, masaya ako na, na-consider pa rin yung kanta at na-revive… parang relevant pa rin siya,” he said.
(I said, wow, it’s still fresh, still unique, still good. And I’m honored, happy that the song was still considered for revival. It’s still relevant.)
The revived chorus was also updated lyrically, upon the suggestion of Cory Vidanes, to capture ABS-CBN’s forward-looking direction.
From a song released during a difficult period for ABS-CBN in the 2000s, “Sabay Tayo” now reflects the challenges the company has faced since, particularly its fight for survival over the past half-decade.
“Sabay tayo luluha” transformed into “Sabay tayo aahon”. “Magkaramay sa lumbay” became “Magkaramay sa buhay”.
More tellingly, “laban” – a word that has not been previously used in a Christmas ID song – was inserted at a crucial verse: “Magkasama sa laban at tagumpay”.
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‘WALANG SOLO LANG’
ABS-CBN 2025 Christmas ID producer L.A. Sibug oversees the shoot of vocalists Darren, Maymay and Klarisse singing with “Love, Joy, Hope ambassador” Melanie Figueroa, AKA “Teacher Santa”. Photo by Edsel Misenas
The “Sabay Tayo” concept extended to the case studies: the ordinary Filipinos who have always been the focus of ABS-CBN’s Christmas IDs since they began being featured in 2012.
More so after the broadcast shutdown (the reason ABS no longer dubs them as “station IDs”), the CCM team has always strived for the videos to represent something more than the channel, network, or company.
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This year’s CID made a first: instead of just being interviewed, the case studies’ sentiments would directly inspire the lyrics of the song written by Labayen and Santiago.
Not only that, these personalities -- introduced as “ambassadors of love, joy, and hope” -- would deliver the portions themselves.
But unlike in 2019’s “Family is Forever” where ordinary Pinoys sang in separate segments, this time the “ambassadors” performed side-by-side with the celebrity vocalists.
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"Walang lyrics na solo lang. Gusto namin magkasabay palagi," said 2025 Christmas ID producer L.A. Sibug.
"Mas nakakakilabot kasi pakinggan ‘pag hindi na lang artist ang shino-showcase natin– shino-showcase na rin natin 'yung boses, 'yung kuwento ng bawat Pilipino na magaganda ang istorya.
(No lyrics would be sung solo. We wanted them to be accompanied. It would give goosebumps to hear not just the artists being showcased, but also the voices and stories of every Filipino which are all beautiful.
In his first time, Pilipinas Got Talent Season 7 grand champion Ricardo Cadavero “Cardong Trumpo” records for a song as part of the "Love, Joy, Hope" ambassadors featured in the ABS-CBN 2025 Christmas ID not just with their stories but also their voices. Guiding the session is CCM promotions specialist Raywin Tome. Photo by Edsel Misenas
Another group of ordinary singers who gave an encore in the Christmas ID were the performers of the updated “Kapamilya Forever” anthem released earlier this year.
This effort at inclusion of what was once just the "audience" is just a reflection of the "Kapamilya spirit", said ABS-CBN Music creative director Jonathan Manalo, who handled the vocal supervision for the recording.
"What a way to give back--'yung gratitude natin na kasama natin sila every Christmas and sa buong taon...and ngayon, kasama natin sila kumanta," he said.
(Our gratitude that they were with us every Christmas and throughout the year...and now, they are singing with us.)
SYMBOL OF TOGETHERNESS
The “It’s Showtime” hosts and cast led by Vice Ganda form a circle at the “Laro Laro Pick” platform for a top shot in the ABS-CBN 2025 Christmas ID “Love, Joy, Hope” Sabay Tayo Ngayong Pasko. Photo by Edsel Misenas
More than music, the visual elements of the 2025 Christmas ID brought “Sabay tayo, Kapamilya” full circle, literally.
Aside from clips of the “Love, Joy, Hope ambassadors” like Cardong Trumpo singing with CID mainstays like Gary Valenciano and Ogie Alcasid, or the combination of new and old clips of the OG “Sabay Tayo” singers, the creative team used circles to cap scenes throughout the video–a symbol of togetherness, Sibug said.
It included a campfire gathering of young artists, a “Trip to Jerusalem” game of TV Patrol’s segment anchors and senior citizens, a relief packing activity for Sagip Kapamilya, or the circular platforms of Showtime’s “Laro Laro Pick”.
These circles were emphasized with an animation of ABS-CBN’s three-ring logo, and even brought to life at the “convergence shot” in the video’s end.
Here the Kapamilya artists, journalists, and executives, wearing red and green shirts, formed a human version of the logo, with the “ambassadors” in blue at the center–as if surrounded by the love and support of everyone.
ABS-CBN’s artists, leaders, and news personalities gather at the ABS-CBN Center Road for the “convergence shot” forming the company’s 3-ring logo seen at the climax of the Kapamilya 2025 Christmas ID. ABS-CBN screen grab
“Yinayakap natin ‘yung kuwento nila and sort of gratitude na rin kasi pinapalakpakan natin sila habang pumapasok sila dito,” Sibug said.
(We are embracing their stories and also relaying our gratitude because they are being applauded as they enter the circle.)
It was the ultimate representation of the team’s goal: to make this a Christmas ID for all Filipinos, not just Kapamilyas, and show how connected we remain in this journey.
“Hindi na lang talaga siya station ID ng ABS-CBN," the producer added. (It’s really no longer just a station ID for ABS-CBN.)
"It’s for them and kasama talaga sila doon sa tradisyon na ‘yun (they are truly part of this tradition)."
Pilipinas Got Talent Season 7 grand champion Ricardo Cadavero “Cardong Trumpo” and Dumagat tribe leader Perlita Guerrero are cheered as they join ABS-CBN personalities in the finale of the Kapamilya 2025 Christmas ID. Photo by Felicia "Ish" Rosabal
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