The Christmas saga of Princess Velasco

The upcoming month of December has always been an important time for Princess Velasco. This is not just because the whole world celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas and then welcomes the arrival of the New Year a few days later. This is because by an interesting coincidence, important things happen to the much-loved Acoustic Princess in December.

A business major from La Salle with a Masters degree from the University of the Philippines, Princess attained singing stardom during the acoustic era over a decade ago. She sold a lot of records and packed so many gigs she would have been dubbed queen had she not been nicknamed Princess. And she was born on Dec. 26.

Well, it is often said a birthday right after Christmas Day means losing out on a birthday present. You almost always get the same one for Christmas and your birthday. Still, I think it is great to be able to celebrate one’s birthday while everybody is in a happy, Christmas mood.

Next on Princess’ December tally. She got married to her high school sweetheart, the pediatrician Dr. Mark Herbert “Bistek” Rosario on Dec. 29, 2013. That means that in between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, every year since, Princess also celebrates her wedding anniversary. That makes for a very exciting time. But I also believe a very hectic one. Now can anything get any better than that? In Princess’ case, yes. It can.

In fact, I have a feeling she is now preparing for a very special birthday party for a very pretty princess who is turning one year old. This is because on Dec. 1, 2020, Princess gave birth to her daughter and third child Sara Bella. What a wonderful way to start off the holiday season each year. Princess and Doc Bistek have two older boys, Kobe, who is six years old and Milo, who is three.

However, fate can also turn the onset of the yuletide season into something sad. This year, it became a period of mourning for Princess. Her father, Alfredo Velasco, to whom she was very close, passed away last Nov. 7 after a long illness. This changed the way she looked forward to the end of the year in an instant. But she is thankful for the happy memories they shared and that she was able to make her Dad extra proud and extremely happy a year before.

Princess found a music sheet that was very old and ready to fall apart last year. It turned out to be her father’s original composition, The New Born King. It was something he wrote to remind people that the Child in the manger is also the King. She took it to her label, GMA Records and it was decided that she will record the song. So, Christmas, 2020 saw the release of a new single for Princess, and although she had recorded an entire Christmas album some years before, The New Born King by her Dad was the most special.

Now this is not the end of the Christmas saga of Princess Velasco. There is one more thing. A few days ago she uploaded a new single, a sweet love song titled Ang Ating Pag-ibig. The song is eight years old. The first time she heard it was on her wedding day. It was composed by her husband for her and he performed it himself during the reception.

“Pagsapit ng dilim ang mukha mo ang aking naiisip/ at sa pag-idlip alaala mo aking inaawit/ hindi ko akalain isang katulad mo’y mapapasa akin/ o kay tagal ko nang hinihintay ito/ nagdarasal sa Diyos napag-bigyan ako/ ang ating pag-ibig…”

So it is Christmas and all these, too. Princess’ Decembers are indeed truly blessed.