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iGMA gets together with the creative team behind GMA-7's 2009 Christmas Station ID to find out how PasaLove started, and where they plan on taking it.
2009 has been a very trying year para sa karamihan; kaya naman in GMA-7's Christmas Station ID for the year, the creative team behind the plug wants to show something happy, something uplifting and something original. PasaLove is the act of passing on love, may natanggap ka man o wala. It is the little things you do, that are actually big things para sa mga binibigyan mo. It is the smile, the wave, the hug, the kiss you share with people you care for. "Since Christmas is the perfect season to give love, we wanted to coin a term to show [this] message." Candy Mari G. De los Reyes, Senior Promo Writer and Lyricist, shares with iGMA the story behind the term PasaLove. She continues, "We wanted to show through this, the vignettes and the song, na love is the best gift." Candy continues, "hindi naman ‘yun 'yung only gift—pero it's the perfect gift that we are all capable of giving. And receiving that gift is just as easy as giving it." Hence the term 'PasaLove.' Sarah S. Manila, another Senior Promo Writer, adds, "We wanted something na madaling maintindihan ng lahat ng tao." And what better term than 'PasaLove,' hindi ba? "Lahat ng tao, mapi-pick up 'yun—ipapasa mo 'yung love." The story behind 'PasaLove' Candy tells iGMA the story of how PasaLove came about; "We wanted to show something happy para ma-cheer up 'yung mga tao." Kuwento niya, this came about even before the Typhoons Ondoy and the others hit the Philippines. So she admits, "ang original plan natin, happy themes; very Pinoy Christmas, spending time with family and friends. "Tapos 'yun--biglang dumating si Ondoy." Tuloy ni Candy, "in-analyze namin kung ano 'yung best approach to the theme. Do the viewers want to be reminded of what happened? Should we be too happy? Baka dapat mag-mellow down sa ganoon, just to empathize with them?" Taking all these into consideration, Candy tells us na they came up with scenes that would, they hope, inspire hope within viewers. "Happy pa rin siya in the sense na parang ini-inspire namin 'yung viewers with a new hope—na hindi dapat sila sumuko even after what happened," Candy finishes. Inamin ni Sarah that the typhoons really played a part in how this year's plug came to be. "Because of what happened, we wanted to inspire people that we can move on; and also, 'yung mga tao na hindi nasalanta, that you can do something about it too." Sabi niya, instead of coming up with the usual traditional Christmas plugs with celebrities and regular people just having fun, the team wanted to be more proactive this year. "We wanted to go back to the values of Christmas talaga—not on the material things, but more on the little things that really mean a lot." Sarah continues, "In a way, [this] would help us move on and be inspired na kaya natin whatever happened. At saka kung ano man 'yung mangyayari in the future, kaya natin siya harapin." The look of 'PasaLove' Leo Angelito C. Alvarado, Senior Visualizer, shares na para maisabuhay ang mga gustong ipahiwatig ng Creative Team, they have to tackle the scenes very dramatically, and at the same time, very realistically. "In real life, mangyayari itong moment na 'to." Leo tells us, "as much as possible, tina-try namin ilapit 'yung ganoong situation, na very realistic siya, na makukuha 'yung loob mo." At the start of every vignette, Leo says they establish the situation and then show a character that's really affected by it. "Tapos, instead of 'yung malungkot siya, mayroong [character] na maga-alleviate nung kalungkutan niya." That is the character who will do the act of PasaLove. "Siya 'yung maga-uplift ng spirit nung character na down na down na." Manuel C. Edralin, another Senior Visualizer, adds that for the plug, they tried to show the different faces of society—instead of celebrities. "Mapapansin niyo, hindi tayo gumamit ng celebrity, just to make sure na mas makuha namin 'yung emotions nung audience—maka-relate sila ng husto." He continues na this is because they want viewers to feel the emotion of the vignettes—and to have the urge na mag-PasaLove din during this Christmas season. Sarah adds, "with celebrities, it's always a challenge of making it look authentic." May questions of sincerity lagi ang mga tao when it comes to celebrities, and to avoid that, to ensure the point of the plug gets across, mas pinili na lang ng creative team to focus on the real people. "At least," she tells us, "by using non-celebrities, it's easier for us to convey our message. Kasi 'yung message natin, if not done properly, it kind of comes across as preachy." Candy does tell us though na may second leg pa ang Christmas campaign ng GMA-7, at dito papasok ang celebrities. "Hindi naman sila totally wala," she promises. "Parang sila 'yung nagbibigay ng mga message, or nagde-demonstrate sila through little things kung paano sila mag-PasaLove." For now though, they would rather have the people focus on the message being given by the current plug. Ika nga ni Leo, "mas maibibigay mo 'yung drama nung scene kung hindi nadi-deviate doon sa celebrities 'yung attention." PasaLove is made possible with the help of Regie C. Bautista (VP for Program Support Department), Armie N. Herrera (Associate Creative Director), Hasmin A. Marable and Minette T. Lopez (Project Managers), Cecile Borja (Musical Arranger), Ding Achacoso (Director of Photography) and Paul Ticzon (Director).--Text by Jason John Lim. Photos courtesy of GMA Network Sing along to GMA-7's Christmas Theme with the lyrics below! Mapapawi ang lungkot sa iyong mga mata Ng pagmamahal na aking ipadarama Dinggin mo ang himig ng aking puso Inaawit para sa iyo ang pag-ibig ng Pasko Nais kong magbalik ang iyong mga ngiti Ang masayang tinig mula sa 'yong mga labi Damhin mo ang yakap ng aking puso Handog ko para sa iyo, ang pag-ibig ng Pasko Hangga't pumipintig sa puso ang pag-ibig Sa pag-asa ito ay patuloy na mananalig Ipasa na, Ipasa mo, ang pagmamahal, mag-PASALOVE Sama-sama tayong mag-PASALOVE ngayong Pasko.