BINI's Jhoanna, SB19's Stell, and Skusta Clee star in Puregold's heartfelt series finale 'Pangalan'

 

BINI Jhoanna

Puregold drops the curtain on its Sari-Sari Stories series with its most emotional episode yet — “Pangalan,” a short film that doubles as a love letter to the sari-sari stores woven into the fabric of Filipino life.

The fourth and final chapter in the series, “Pangalan,” follows “Ways,” “The Sign,” and “The Witness,” and like any great finale, it goes deeper. Where earlier films leaned into nostalgia, this one widens the lens, telling a richer story about identity, community, and the quiet economic power of the neighborhood store.

The sari-sari store, it turns out, makes for compelling cinema. Familiar yet full of story, it’s the kind of setting that needs no introduction — a place every Filipino has a memory tied to. “Pangalan” leans into that intimacy, using the corner store as a window into something far more universal: the search for belonging and the ties that hold a community together.

SB19 Stell

At its core, the film explores what a name really means — and why the sari-sari store has earned so many of them. It’s the tanungan, the tambayan, the takbuhan. Each word is a role, each role is a story. “Pangalan” captures these layers with the kind of warmth and specificity that makes Filipino storytelling so distinct — and so resonant.

The film also scores a compelling cast. OPM favorites Jhoanna Robles of BINI, Stell Ajero of SB19, and Skusta Clee appear not as performers, but as storytellers — sharing genuine, unscripted memories of sari-sari stores from their own lives. It’s a casting choice that pays off: their candor gives the film an emotional authenticity that scripted drama rarely achieves.

“Pangalan” is ultimately the kind of branded content that transcends its brief. It doesn’t sell a product so much as it honors a place — and in doing so, makes a quiet but powerful case for the millions of small store owners whose work keeps communities running every single day.

Skusta Clee

The film’s release also sets the stage for what’s next. Puregold’s Tindahan Ni Aling Puring Sari-Sari Store Convention arrives this May, and “Pangalan” feels like the perfect opening act — a reminder of why these stores, and the people behind them, deserve a celebration.

Now a fixture in the MSME community, the convention brings together store owners, entrepreneurs, and suppliers for a gathering that’s equal parts practical and inspiring. Together, the film and the event tell a complete story — one that Puregold has been building, episode by episode, all along. 

Click to watch the YouTube video "Pangalan." https://youtu.be/EAE7m6Ts2ew