We so need Christmas—so Rockwell, light it up!

We so need this Christmas, we swear.

And it might take more than our beloved Jose Mari Chan to ring in the merriment of the season.

Instead of merriment, we feel like dashing for shelter from the storm of current events. We so need a break from the social media noise. We so need Christmas—a moment of cheer and calm, the moment of memory of times gone by.

We need to feel again that the Philippines has the longest and merriest celebration of Christmas in the world.

And usually, for us, that reassuring feeling comes when we walk into the Power Plant Mall and see the twinkling sea of Christmas red or orange that sweeps over the place, the Christmas tree towering in glittering light, and outside, the Rockwell buildings outlined in duralight in the stark darkness of a Manila sky. 

To many Metro Manilans, the lit-up silhouette of the Rockwell building cluster has come to represent the skyline of a Filipino Christmas. A few years ago, driving from work late at night, burned out, I would always feel a flow of lightness come over me every time I saw those lit buildings—it meant I was home finally, like a beacon guiding me back home after a night on the fast lane.

“There’s something about Rockwell at night during the holidays — the glow, the music, the calm. It’s hard to explain, but it always feels like home,” another Rockwell resident put it.

To many a Metro Manilan, Rockwell all decked in bright holiday lights signals the start of Christmas. On November 3, Rockwell lights up its Christmas tree and the duralights—the official start of the Christmas season and the kick-off of its many festivities and promotions for mall-goers, diners, shoppers, and of course, its residents. 

It’s the coming of Christmas for the growing Rockwell community.

The bright lights of Rockwell in the dark Manila skyline signal not just the advent of Christmas, but also, this year, the persistence of hope for a brighter day. For us personally, it is hope that emanates from the sense of community that Rockwell has given not only its residents but also its visitors, mall denizens, office populace, even its neighbors from nearby villages. 

Rockwell has come to represent a community with a sense of order and security arising from comfort and convenience, the fun and excitement of happenings, the tasteful design of living, and—a welcome deviation from the times—an efficient adherence to rules. You can cross the street at Rockwell without fear of being run over; Rockwell must be one of the rare places in the busy metropolis where even motorcycles respect the pedestrian lanes. The traffic aides and the security guards are courteous; unlike in gated villages where you’re made to feel like an intruder, the guards of Rockwell somehow can do screening of guests in a professional manner. With them, as an occasional resident, I still feel a sense of familiarity built through the decades. One time, when I chose to park my car across from Grace Park for lunch, I was so amused to know that the guard, who happened to be re-posted there from the One Rockwell lobby, still remembered how bad I was with parallel parking, he was almost poised to do it himself. 

The chapel at Power Plant Mall is a cocoon, where your heart can be still and your mind wiped clear. Mid-afternoon, when the lunch crowd has thinned, is always a good time to say the rosary there. It helps that the side doors are now closed, so that no tennis trainer could espy me on the pew and remind me to resume my doubles. Seriously, it did happen to me a long time ago—I was calmly saying the rosary when my trainer happened to walk by on the corridor on the way to the tennis court, spotted me, and reminded me about the doubles. The divine moment stopped.

Rockwell has my comfort food (sun-dried tapa at Via Mare, with puto bumbong), my special meals at Chef Jessie (its dip is a habit), the self-indulgence of baked pampano and avocado pie at Grace Park, the inviting temptations to gourmet innovations at Balmori (Taupe is happening again). I miss the evenings when theater stalwart Bobby Garcia would pop up while we were having dinner on the ground floor of One Rockwell; he’d be on the way home to his unit after a hard day of rehearsals. He’d join us spontaneously for dinner and a lot—a lot—of juicy talk. This was way before the pandemic. Or the late evenings when Margarita “Gaita” Fores would sit at our table at Grace Park for catch-up chat, and keep us company for dinner. Gaita was winding up her day of restaurant check, and Grace Park would be her last stop. 

Bobby and Gaita are now gone. Time flies. Yes, even at Rockwell, which today, is community living that many aspire for.

But the music I’ve come to link with Rockwell on my mind stays: Vince Guaraldi Trio’s Christmas Time is Here. Happiness and cheer…children’s favorite time of year… I would play that over and over as I watched the thickening stream of vehicle headlights flowing on Edsa down below from my unit. It was as if the city jungle was a mere parallel universe that couldn’t invade you in your Rockwell home.

Now back to your universe, Christmas can’t be put off. Starting this November, Power Plant Mall will have three Christmas trees, as tall as 50 feet. All over Rockwell Center, the trees are festooned with Christmas lights in vibrant yet warm orange and gold, with yellow magnolia accents. The brightness of Christmas ironically gives one a sense of zen, a sense of community. You are indeed cocooned in your comfort zone.

A Rockwell mall-goer puts it well: “You know it’s finally Christmas when Rockwell lights up—there’s nothing quite like it.”

A Rockwell condo owner since 2017 sums it up: “You’ll see families, friends, even guards taking selfies when the Christmas lights are first switched on. It’s that kind of energy, everyone’s part of it. Rockwell just feels extra alive during the holidays.”

Then there are the familiar holiday mall inhabitants, the Rockwell Christmas Furbabies. Rocky the Panda roams the mall for those memorable selfies, while Santa makes his special visits during Christmas week.

On November 10 is the Santolan Town Plaza Tree Lighting Ceremony in partnership with the San Juan LGU, kicking off the celebration in the eastern side of the metropolis. 

On November 14-16 at the newly opened Proscenium Theater is Ryan Cayabyab’s MaestroClass Concert Series featuring the National Artist himself, Lani Misalucha, Martin Nievera, and the Ryan Cayabyab Singers.

Then there’s the beloved Broadway musical, A Christmas Carol, the adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic. Running from Nov. 29 to Dec. 21, 2025, it is directed by Robbie Guevara, music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and book by Mike Ockrent and Lynn Ahrens. 

The Christmas Car Raffle is making its much-awaited return this year, bigger and more exciting than ever for shoppers.

December will have daily mini raffles for Rockwellist users, now with 30 prizes instead of 25—in celebration of Rockwell’s 30th year. Each day, Rockwellist users can win exciting gifts from mall tenants, including luxury fragrances, fine jewelry, home appliances, and gadgets. 

Also in December are musical performances and entertainment—Chorales at Arton, OPM at Power Plant Mall, and festive music at Santolan Town Plaza.

Another  Rockwell resident describes the feeling of community: “What I love here is how it feels like a real neighborhood. You see the same people every day, the guards say hi, the barista knows your order—it’s those small things.”    

Indeed Christmas is about small things made big—all through the love of the Child in the manger.

And we can hardly wait for the hope that Christmas brings. With the cheery lights of a Rockwell Christmas comes the promise of dawn for the Filipino.