ABS-CBN Christmas special: Family is love

MANILA, Philippines — You know an event is successful when people come in droves to see it even if there are no announcements outside the venue itself.

The ABS-CBN Christmas special, whose second part and final part airs today, is a classic example. No billboard announced the event. No tarpaulin gave a hint of what was about to happen that night. But fans flocked to the jam-packed SMART Araneta Coliseum to see their favorite Kapamilya stars.

Neon signs bearing Regine Velasquez’s, Maymay Entrata and Edward Barbers’ (MayWard) names, among others, glowed from the audience area. Fans screamed their lungs out at the sight of their idols.

Maymay, sophisticated in a gold outfit and black stockings, made the Big Dome erupt in thunderous applause. Maymay got the same response when she reappeared with Edward in the show’s tribute to love teams. Both sported matching sunny yellow attire.

Fans of FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano had the time of their lives watching lead actor Coco Martin (his Cocojam fans were there) and co-star Edu Manzano in a dance showdown. It seemed bound to create tension at first, since Edu’s booming voice threatened to sow terror. But the tension gave way to laughter, and the mood changed for the better.

The ambiance was definitely youth-oriented — from the love teams to the presence of the hottest stars. But the show also struck a chord among baby boomers since it played well-loved songs of the past, like Bongga Ka Day, Hagibis songs and others.

Performers you don’t see often, like the Santiago brothers Randy, Rowell and Raymart, Andrew E and JC de Vera, went on stage.

It was not all merrymaking though. Everyone was reminded that Christmas is also about reaching out to the needy. The Bantay Bata segment saw to that.

It was a reminder that Christmas is also all about sharing.

That night, the Big Dome audience was one big family — laughing, singing and feeling compassion — together.

The title Family is Love is as apt as can be.