Parangal (Award) was the sequel to Jollibee’s Date from 2017. This was a nice continuation to the original short film/commercial about a boy having a Valentine’s date with his mother.

Joey addresses the audience at his high school graduation, a day of awards for him. It is also a day he has been looking forward to so that he could pay tribute to his mother, the person who sacrificed to get him to this point. In Date, he followed his deceased father’s instructions to give his mother a nice Valentine’s Day. And while Joey was committed to stepping up to help his mother, his mother, as single mothers do, took on the role of mother and father to make sure her son graduated.

Parangal may have only been a creative commercial for Jollibee but it was also a reminder to remember the cost of parenthood when things get tough. Joey’s biggest gift was not an award, but the love of a mother dedicated to giving him a chance to succeed in the world. The mother was awarded a hard working son who also knew how to express gratitude. Gifts far greater than the price of a bucket of chicken.

22 December 2024