Are you the happiest pinoy?

CEBU, Philippines - Well, give it to the Pinoys who have a penchant of making even the most trying situation into something light and a source of laughter, at that.

A recent international survey on happiness ranked the Philippines highly. Amazingly, this despite the calamities and the low quality of life of Filipinos as evidenced in the recent Human Development Index released by the United Nations Development Programme, where we ranked 112, out of the 187 countries surveyed.

Pinoys are really a happy people. We may not have all the luxuries in the world, or we may lack the necessities in life, still, we are able to put a smile on our faces.

We may experience plenty of calamities, suffer a plentitude of losses, still, Filipinos have a way of picking themselves up and make the challenges easy and light.

This natural outlook of Pinoys have prompted Cebuana Lhuillier to come up with a project aptly called the Search for the Happiest Pinoy.

Jonathan Batangan, general manager for Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Solutions, Inc., and the creator of the search said that one time during his early morning meditation, he was inspired to come out with this search and in an instant, he was able to make a draft of the project including the mechanics and the names of the judges.

The novelty of the idea inspired the management of the company and decided to adapt the search as one of their campaigns, hoping that through this they would be able to inspire the country and the Filipinos into building an even more positive outlook in life.

The search started in 2009. That year they chose a Dumagueteño, Winston Maxino.

Maxino, although a successful corporate executive, suffers from a rare painful disease called ankylosing spondylitis. Because of this condition, he experiences pain 24/7 and spends a fortune for pain injections. Aside from that, Maxino has a daughter with Down Syndrome, whom he said, taught him “kidology” or the study of making kids happy.

The challenges that he faces physically did not turn him into a grouch, rather, it made him an even better person who inspires the people he meets.

That year as well, on its first run, the campaign was able to garner both national and international recognitions, like the Philippine Quill Award for Excellence, Anvil Award, and the prestigious Stevie International Business Awards for Communications as the PR Campaign of the Year.

This year, on its second run, Cebuana Lhuillier, hopes to find an ordinary pinoy – a street vendor, a teacher, a security guard, a humble government worker, or an inspiring public servant – to be the next happiest pinoy.

The winner of the search will receive a P250,000 cash prize tax free. And those whose nominees reached the top ten will be getting a prize from Cebuana Lhuillier, as well.

Nominees must be able to meet three criteria, namely: a) A constantly cheerful face and optimistic outlook; b) Proven ability to rise above life’s challenges; and c) Positive impact in the lives of others.

The finalists will be judged by Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Carmencita T. Abella, Department of Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro, the reigning happiest pinoy himself Winston Maxino, and the president of the Brahma Kumaris Foundation Philippines and former ambassador and senator Dr. Leticia Ramos-Shahani, to name a few.

Nominations can be made through its website at happiest-pinoy.com, or by filling out nomination forms at any Cebuana Lhuillier branch. The deadline of submission of entries is on June 2012.

Batangan said that happiness is a choice. It starts from a thought, which can be very powerful. And so, he said, if we plant the seed of happy thoughts, then that thought would be able to shape our destiny.

The search, Batangan said, is a genuine effort of the company to “rekindle the age-old values of optimism and resiliency among Filipinos.”

 “Let’s spread the happydemic,” said Batangan.  (FREEMAN)