OPINION
Ed Javier
The Secret Of Christmas
Salvador “Sonny” Escudero III. DA File Photo
Every Christmas season, without fail, there was only one request.
Not a playlist, not ten songs, not a single carol. Just one.
My late radio co-host, former Sorsogon Representative Salvador “Sonny” Escudero III whom we fondly called Tatay would quietly, patiently ask for “The Secret of Christmas” by Bing Crosby.
Every year. Only once. No substitutions, no exceptions. No matter what else was on air.
Tatay loved the song because it reminded us that Christmas is not just a day, or snow, or gifts, or carols.
As Crosby sings in the opening lines, “It’s not the glow you feel when snow appears… it’s not the little gift you send on Christmas Day.”
The song strips Christmas of its glitter and insists on a deeper truth: the real secret of Christmas is not in the things we do at Christmas time but in the Christmas things we do all year through.
It was this moral consistency, this call to live the spirit every day, that made Tatay choose it above all others.
One song per year, and it carried more weight than any playlist could. It was not sentimental; it was instructive, a gentle reminder of what matters most.
Tatay practiced this in his life, very simply. No flashy clothes. His signature polo-shirtjack with red, blue, and white stripes on the shoulders was all he needed.
No flashy cars. No intimidation of security people. No ostentation. Every gesture, every choice, was quietly principled.
This same instinct drew us, his radio co-hosts, into a tradition that became sacred for us: the annual playing of his one, unwavering song.
Over the years, our radio co-hosts added depth and warmth to this ritual: the late Alvin Capino and now his son Paolo, Ombudsman Boying Remulla, former Rep. Jonathan dela Cruz, Ambassador Teddy Boy Locsin, Atty. Dodo Dulay, and now Senator JV Ejercito.
Each one, in his own way, embodied the principle that the Christmas spirit, kindness, integrity, reflection, is not limited to a day.
The song became a quiet anchor for all of us, a yearly reminder of how to live decently in the ordinary days between holidays. Listening to the song now in 2025 feels almost like a challenge. We live in a country battered by storms, literal and figurative.
Funds meant for flood control, meant to protect families, are now themselves mired in suspicion. Questions abound: Who oversaw these projects? Who benefited? Who looked away? Who bears responsibility?
In the quiet verses of the song, one hears a reminder that the little gestures we make on a single day, gifts, cards, speeches, cannot undo neglect or betrayal.
“The little gift you send on Christmas Day will not bring back the friend you’ve turned away,” Crosby sings.
The truth is stark: no carefully phrased press statement, no invocation of a family name, no promise of future action can replace honesty, transparency, and moral courage.
It is almost ironically appropriate that Tatay’s own son, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, former Senate President and now incumbent senator, faces scrutiny over public funds and projects meant to safeguard communities.
Legacy is not inherited through blood or position. It is measured by choices, by the way one treats others, and by whether one acts with integrity when no one is watching.
The quiet power of “The Secret of Christmas” asks, indirectly but insistently: Who are you when it is not Christmas?
What will your actions say about you when the bells have fallen silent? When the gifts are put away? When the year has started anew, and the world expects nothing but your ordinary decency?
For Tatay, the song was never sentimental. It was a guide, a compass, a moral anchor. One short song per year, and it carried more weight than any speech or policy could.
It was a reminder that Christmas is not a date, but a way of life, something we practice all year, every day.
As we approach another Christmas in a country battered by storms, natural and man-made, perhaps it is time to listen again to that one song Tatay requested each year.
Not for nostalgia. Not for comfort. But for correction.
If Christmas does not shape how we govern, how we spend public money, how we protect the vulnerable, and how we tell the truth the rest of the year, then it was never really Christmas at all.
Gaya ng laging paalala ni Tatay at ng kanta: “Hindi sa ilaw, hindi sa regalo, hindi sa isang araw nasusukat ang Pasko."
Ang Pasko ay ang pagpapakita sa bawat araw na tayo’y mabuti, tapat, may takot sa Diyos at may malasakit sa kapwa.
Isang Makabuluhan, Mapayapa at Maligayang Pasko po sa ating lahat.
Not a playlist, not ten songs, not a single carol. Just one.
My late radio co-host, former Sorsogon Representative Salvador “Sonny” Escudero III whom we fondly called Tatay would quietly, patiently ask for “The Secret of Christmas” by Bing Crosby.
Every year. Only once. No substitutions, no exceptions. No matter what else was on air.
Tatay loved the song because it reminded us that Christmas is not just a day, or snow, or gifts, or carols.
As Crosby sings in the opening lines, “It’s not the glow you feel when snow appears… it’s not the little gift you send on Christmas Day.”
The song strips Christmas of its glitter and insists on a deeper truth: the real secret of Christmas is not in the things we do at Christmas time but in the Christmas things we do all year through.
It was this moral consistency, this call to live the spirit every day, that made Tatay choose it above all others.
One song per year, and it carried more weight than any playlist could. It was not sentimental; it was instructive, a gentle reminder of what matters most.
Tatay practiced this in his life, very simply. No flashy clothes. His signature polo-shirtjack with red, blue, and white stripes on the shoulders was all he needed.
No flashy cars. No intimidation of security people. No ostentation. Every gesture, every choice, was quietly principled.
This same instinct drew us, his radio co-hosts, into a tradition that became sacred for us: the annual playing of his one, unwavering song.
Over the years, our radio co-hosts added depth and warmth to this ritual: the late Alvin Capino and now his son Paolo, Ombudsman Boying Remulla, former Rep. Jonathan dela Cruz, Ambassador Teddy Boy Locsin, Atty. Dodo Dulay, and now Senator JV Ejercito.
Each one, in his own way, embodied the principle that the Christmas spirit, kindness, integrity, reflection, is not limited to a day.
The song became a quiet anchor for all of us, a yearly reminder of how to live decently in the ordinary days between holidays. Listening to the song now in 2025 feels almost like a challenge. We live in a country battered by storms, literal and figurative.
Funds meant for flood control, meant to protect families, are now themselves mired in suspicion. Questions abound: Who oversaw these projects? Who benefited? Who looked away? Who bears responsibility?
In the quiet verses of the song, one hears a reminder that the little gestures we make on a single day, gifts, cards, speeches, cannot undo neglect or betrayal.
“The little gift you send on Christmas Day will not bring back the friend you’ve turned away,” Crosby sings.
The truth is stark: no carefully phrased press statement, no invocation of a family name, no promise of future action can replace honesty, transparency, and moral courage.
It is almost ironically appropriate that Tatay’s own son, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, former Senate President and now incumbent senator, faces scrutiny over public funds and projects meant to safeguard communities.
Legacy is not inherited through blood or position. It is measured by choices, by the way one treats others, and by whether one acts with integrity when no one is watching.
The quiet power of “The Secret of Christmas” asks, indirectly but insistently: Who are you when it is not Christmas?
What will your actions say about you when the bells have fallen silent? When the gifts are put away? When the year has started anew, and the world expects nothing but your ordinary decency?
For Tatay, the song was never sentimental. It was a guide, a compass, a moral anchor. One short song per year, and it carried more weight than any speech or policy could.
It was a reminder that Christmas is not a date, but a way of life, something we practice all year, every day.
As we approach another Christmas in a country battered by storms, natural and man-made, perhaps it is time to listen again to that one song Tatay requested each year.
Not for nostalgia. Not for comfort. But for correction.
If Christmas does not shape how we govern, how we spend public money, how we protect the vulnerable, and how we tell the truth the rest of the year, then it was never really Christmas at all.
Gaya ng laging paalala ni Tatay at ng kanta: “Hindi sa ilaw, hindi sa regalo, hindi sa isang araw nasusukat ang Pasko."
Ang Pasko ay ang pagpapakita sa bawat araw na tayo’y mabuti, tapat, may takot sa Diyos at may malasakit sa kapwa.
Isang Makabuluhan, Mapayapa at Maligayang Pasko po sa ating lahat.
Ed Javier
Ed Javier is a veteran communicator with over 35 years of experience in corporate, government, and advocacy communications, spanning the terms of seven Philippine presidents. He is also a political analyst, entrepreneur, and media professional. Drawing on this experience, he delivers clear, accessible analysis of political, governance, and business issues.
Dec 24, 2025
We are dedicated storytellers with a passion for bringing your brand to life. Our services range from news and media features to brand promotion and collaborations.
Interested? Visit our
Contact Us page for more information. To learn more about what we offer, check out our latest article on services and opportunities.
