Leo Burnett Manila Revisits Boy Who Studied Outside a McDonald’s

A year after a photo of Daniel Cabrera went viral, the agency reunites the boy and the medical student who changed his life

In 2015, Daniel Cabrera, a 9-year-old homeless boy, was photographed doing his homework outside a McDonald’s in the Philippines. He was squatting on the concrete sidewalk with his book propped open on a stool to work by the light from the store.

That photo, taken and shared on Facebook by Joyce Torrefranca, a medical student, went viral online and was covered by international news outlets such as BBC and The Huffington Post. Financial aid and donations from around the world poured in.

This holiday season, McDonald’s, Leo Burnett Manila and Filmex Production revisit the boy and his mother, who share how their lives have changed for the better since with the video, “The Boy Who Loves to Study.”

During an interview with Torrefranca, who recounts that night where she was inspired by Cabrera’s determination, the boy and his mother surprise her.

In a Catholic country where Christmas is celebrated widely, the film resonated with its timely message of love and compassion, garnering almost 3 million views on YouTube to date.