VIRAL: Foreigners celebrate Pinoy Christmas in PAL ad

MANILA, Philippines – What makes a Pinoy Christmas? A lot of lights, food, gifts, songs, and fun.

Foreigners celebrated a Filipino Christmas in an advertisement by Philippine Airlines (PAL). It featured lechon, parols (Filipino Christmas lanterns), and tourist destinations around the country.

Participants in the video sang “Kumukutikutitap” by Ryan Cayabyab while engaging in Filipino Christmas activities. Some were singing around a table loaded with food while others were on a raft in the beach.

The video is part of PAL’s #HeartofFilipino campaign, and has since been shared at least 3,056 times and has received at least 7,958 reactions. 

Traditions

The video showed several components of a Filipino Christmas like lanterns, kakanin (rice cakes), and gift-giving. More unconventional activities like visiting the beach and other tourist destinations were also included.

People left comments, saying it was a festive ad that captured the spirit of a Filipino Christmas. One user wrote, “No one celebrates Christmas like we Filipinos do!”

One of the important parts of a Filipino Christmas, however, is family. In another video – also part of the #HeartofFilipino campaign – PAL brought two overseas Filipino workers home to be with their families for the holidays.

Maritess Torres, who had been working in Riyadh for 6 years, and Roderick Fabian, who had been in Riyadh for two years, were given the chance to go home for the holidays. Torres was able to be with her children after missing two Christmases, and Fabian was able to see his youngest child for the first time.

This is not the first time PAL has done this.

Their 2014 video, titled “A Mother’s Christmas Story,” told the story of Miriam Carpio, 53, who had been working abroad for almost 20 years. She would spend Christmas away from family, only sending them boxes of gifts. PAL and the Philippine National Bank brought her and her family together for Christmas.

Whether it’s eating warm bibingka, lounging on the beach, or having a simple dinner, the spirit of a Filipino Christmas is in spending it with the people who matter the most. – Rappler.com