MANILA, Philippines — The local takoyaki store, which bore the brunt of online criticism for an April Fools’ challenge featuring a hefty cash prize, finally rewarded the victim who fell for the tattoo-on-forehead prank.
In a video posted on its Facebook page, Taragis showed that its owner Carl Quion personally met with Ramil Albano — the victim of its viral April Fools’ challenge — and provided him the promised P100,000 cash reward.
Quion then issued a public apology, emphasizing that the incident should serve as a lesson to exercise responsibility in posting on social media.
“Sa lahat ng nagkaroon ng negatibong pananaw sa naging April Fool’s post namin, humihingi ako ng tawad. At sana magsilbing aral ito sa ating lahat … na maging responsable tayo sa lahat ng inu-upload natin,” Quion said in the video.
(To all who had a negative reaction to our April Fool’s post, I apologize. And hopefully, this serves as a lesson for all of us… that we should be responsible for everything we upload.)
READ: Businesses, netizens rally for April Fools’ prank victim
The incident stemmed from a viral challenge posted by Taragis for April Fools’, asking followers to tattoo its logo on their foreheads for a prize of P100,000.
In meeting with Quion, Albano explained that he was not able to see the disclaimer that the challenge was meant for April Fools.
Father’s love for his kid
He explained that he decided to take part in the challenge in order to provide for his son who is living with down syndrome.
“Para sa bunso kong anak, pang-tuition, at service noong anak kong bunso [na] may down syndrome,” said Albano.
(For my youngest child, for his tuition fees, and service for my youngest son who has down syndrome.)
Quion, for his part, offered Albano to have the tattoo removed by a certified dermatologist.
Prior to finally giving in to the challenge, Taragis in a now-deleted post reminded the public that the challenge was a mere prank, and that it should serve as a reminder “how important reading comprehension is.”
April Fools’ Day is a custom usually observed in Western countries on the first day of April. The day is usually celebrated by conducting practical jokes and hoaxes, with some businesses even taking part in the event.