Popular video-sharing service TikTok urged Filipinos to share their beloved holiday moments and inspire others through the app as the country celebrates Christmas season amid the coronavirus pandemic.
With the theme “#LoveLivesOnTikTok,” users are invited to memorialize their traditions as they celebrate the season of family, hope and love through their videos under the hashtag.
“This year might be a different kind of Christmas. What would you do with your loved ones? Share your Christmas traditions on #LoveLivesOnTikTok,” the platform said on Twitter with an accompanying sample video.
Users who are able to share their videos under the hashtag may win a special prize from TikTok itself this Christmas.
Those who have already shared their moments on the short-form mobile video app include actresses Kris Bernal and Althea Ablan.
“Despite all the tough things that happened and still happening this year, staying alive and appreciating life makes me grateful. Share the moments that you are grateful for this year ‘cause #LoveLivesOnTikTok,” Bernal said.
“Bilang isang Pilipino, anumang hirap ang dumating na pagsubok sa mundo. Tuloy ang pasko,” Ablan said in her own version.
“In the face of all the adversities and challenges that have come our way in 2020, the holiday season remains to be a bright, shining star that Filipinos can look forward to at the end of the year,” TikTok said in a release.
“As the biggest festival celebrated in the country, this Christmas serves as a bittersweet reminder to cherish every moment that we spend with our loved ones, whether face-to-face or online,” it added.
Filipinos are big on Christmas celebrations, being the only country in the world that starts putting up festive displays and plays holiday jingles four months before December.
The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has prompted a shift in the way it is celebrated.
People are highly encouraged to do virtual gatherings and attend online masses instead. Even the traditional gift-giving of godparents to their respective godchildren are expected to go digital through the means of online bank transfers and e-wallets.
This has prompted TikTok to up the ante by encouraging others to make people feel the Christmas spirit despite the distance.
“This Christmas, love lives on TikTok. Here, we are able to preserve our precious memories of wonderful times that have passed, and we are given hope that the best still lies ahead. We realize that, no matter how tough the world out there might be, happiness and optimism will always be with us at home, where we are surrounded by the people that we care about,” it said.
Meanwhile, an all-star live stream on the platform was held last December 19 featuring host and content creator Show Suzuki with celebrity guest, Alex Gonzaga.
Both of them reminisced about the year gone by in the talk show-style event.
Gonzaga also performed viewers’ favorite TikTok challenges during the event.