The greatest Filipino Christmas songs

It has been so year after year now for over two decades. And so it is to this day. The first Christmas song I would hear playing on the radio by late August or the onset of September, would be Christmas In Our Hearts by Jose Mari Chan. Then just as it ushered in the holidays chances are that as the festivities die down this coming week, it will also close the Christmas season for us Pinoys. There have been a lot of Filipino compositions written for Christmas these past many years but Christmas In Our Hearts is certainly the most popular.

The song was written by Joe Mari with lyrics by Rina Caniza for his first Christmas album also titled Christmas In Our Hearts in 1989. He sang it as a duet with his daughter Lisa. There is another original song in the album that initially seemed like a better choice for a single. A Perfect Christmas closely resembled Joe Mari’s phenomenal seller Beautiful Girl and seemed destined for the hit charts. But Christmas In Our Hearts is so beautiful in its simplicity and although written in English, it is reflective of the Filipino Christmas celebration. It soon turned out to be the bigger song.

It was a winner from the very first line: “Whenever I see girls and boys selling lanterns on the streets, I remember the child on the manger as he sleeps/ whenever I see people giving gifts exchanging cards/ I believe that Christmas is really in our hearts.” And that refrain is so contagious: “Let’s sing merry Christmas and a happy holiday/ this season may we never forget the love we had for Jesus…” So easy in its rhythm and so smooth in language, it has become a staple even among young carolers.

I do not have the figures but Joe Mari’s Christmas In Our Hearts album has probably already sold over a million copies and that is an historic accomplishment in the local music market.

Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit. Reminiscent of the Spanish villancico, the song dates back to 1933. It was originally composed by Vicente Rubi with Cebuano lyrics by Mariano Vestil. It was later given Filipino lyrics by National Artist Levi Celerio and recorded by Ruben Tagalog. Local baby boomers grew up with the song. In fact, for many years, it was the only Filipino carol that children sang. To this day, one cannot listen to the song without hearing the sound of bottle caps, those tansans strung together on a wire and shaken as accompaniment.

Payapang Daigdig composed by Felipe Padilla de Leon with lyrics by Eduardo de Leon and Brigido Batungbakal. This was written in 1946 right after World War II and was, in fact, about finally having peace in the Philippines. However, its message about a peaceful night where the stars are silent and the wind is gentle has drawn comparison with the carol Silent Night. I do not know who made that association or who first sang it at Christmastime but from that moment on, the beautiful song was on its way to becoming a popular Filipino Christmas carol.

Pasko Na Naman also composed in 1965 by De Leon and with lyrics again written by Celerio, two National Artists for music. This is certainly the most joyous of Filipino Christmas songs. A lilting Spanish-influenced paso doble, usually performed with a rondalla, this is the song you hear in your head as church bells ring loud and clear on Christmas morning. The last recorded version was done by the San Miguel Choir five years ago.

Miss Kita Kung Christmas was composed by Hermie Uy and Fe Ayala. This was recorded in 1975 by Visayan singing star Susan Fuentes who sadly died last year of colon cancer. It was the first Christmas song done in the colloquial Manila Sound style of mixed English and Filipino lyrics. This cute device gave the song a hip, young following that made it one of the most popular pop Christmas songs. Miss Kita Kung Christmas has since then been covered by a wide variety of artists ranging from Rico Puno, Sharon Cuneta, to Donna Cruz, Sarah Geronimo and others.

Pasko Na Sinta Ko is of a more recent vintage. It was composed by the tragic Francis Dandan with lyrics by the great baritone and National Artist Aurelio Estanislao. This song is about how a broken heart feels at Christmas. It is full of sadness but it is just what sentimental Pinoys like in a romantic song even during Christmastime. The recording by Gary Valenciano in 1976 made this song very popular and it has since then been covered by many Filipino artists including Sharon and Basil Valdez.