The Philippine Online Chronicles

I tried searching online for the happiest Filipino, and sticking out like sore thumbs, there they were, Mariel Rodriguez and Robin Padilla, with Mariel claiming that having married Robin, she is not just the happiest Filipino but the happiest person in the world.

While we can’t all be married to Binoe (though I must admit that I consider him a hunka-burnin’ luv in a manly, platonic sort of way), we still have been hailed as among the happiest on the planet, ranking 14^th in the 2009 Happy Planet Index (HPI) study (The next one will come out in 2012).

Close social ties

The research done by the New Economics Foundation states that mostly middle income countries from Latin America and Southeast Asia are the ones that have the best scores, not the ones from highly developed countries. They say that this is attributed to the low ecological footprint of the developing countries compared to the industrialized ones.

But more than that, happiness in the Philippines is more due to its people having close-knit communities, especially among the poor.

Saamah Abdallah of the New Economics Foundation confirms the edge enjoyed by island nations: “We have argued that successful island cultures have, over history, had to become more aware of their natural limits and therefore more resourceful. Island nations that have failed to do this have not lasted - for example Easter Island. Furthermore, islands are examples of the concept of 'small is beautiful.’ Well-defined communities living on islands are able to build strong social ties and have become more closely-knit communities.”

In a happiness barometer study by Coca-Cola involving 16 countries and spanning four continents, it was found that catching up with friends over dinner or simply talking with them are the greatest sources of happiness for about 80% of the respondents.

Loren Legarda, desiring to have a more accurate measure of the Filipino quality of life, suggested that Gross National Happiness replace Gross National Product as it combines sustainability and good governance.

President Noynoy Aquino’s high approval ratings

The son of Ninoy and Cory Aquino won by a landslide, with the highest voter turnout the country has seen in decades.

Well versed in economics, Aquino has landed buttery foreign investments from Japan’s Marubeni, Toshiba, and Itochu corporations worth USD2.85 billion. Another USD2.4 billion in investments, and 43,650 new jobs, was promised by the USA within a three-year term. These glad tidings came in time for the most joyous season of the year, Christmas.

Indeed, happy news for the new graduates, the unemployed and underemployed, and those seeking better-paying careers.

Even a month after the hostage-taking incident, the trust ratings for President Aguino has remained at an 80 percent high, mainly because of his charisma, according to Donald Dee of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI). This, according to the PCCI, is due to Aquino’s campaign against red tape to further improve our economy.

For many Filipinos, PNoy has been making some right moves especially in terms of the dissident movement, the political prisoners, and eschewing of trappings of power represented by the "wang-wang" and other privileges.

Chup, chup, chup – churrap!

Despite all trials, the Filipino continues to tweet away and post gleefully in Facebook, finding solace in sports and show business. Rep. Manny Pacquiao and his flawless victory against Margarito as well as Venus Raj’s major major near-win topped web engine searches. Mariel Rodriguez may not know it, but her feverish affection greatly influences the Filipino happiness index.

But while 88 percent of Filipinos are happy in their own perception, the Philippines is still just a few notches above the world HPI average, showing that the optimism of the Filipinos does not necessarily translate to having a good life. Perhaps we have modest expectations and we take what ever little we get and are thankful, even happy, for it.

We again get insights from Saamah Abdallah who says: “As it happens, the Philipines does not score very well in terms of life satisfaction in the last HPI - 5.5 on a scale on 0-10. Its high overall score is a combination of a very low ecological footprint (0.9 g ha compared to Costa Rica's 2.3 g ha) and good health (life expectancy of 71.0 which is, for example, the same as that for much wealthier countries such as Estonia). To be honest, I can only speculate as to why life expectancy is so high in the Philippines. Perhaps the island culture is part of this, and I imagine there is a good deal of fish in the diet.”

Real happiness

Janneke Agustin, a master of Community Development from UP Diliman, questions the need for numbers.

“Our unique spirituality plays an important role in how we view happiness. Although we are bombarded by materialism these days, deep inside we have simple dreams and desires.”

She wonders whether negative factors such as corruption and depression were included in the survey, and stresses, “We don't need to know the numbers when we can see, hear, feel what is happening in our lives. And, if the numbers don't get to the ‘heart of the matter,’ what for?”

A better reason for the happiness of Pinoys, less cheesy than the Mariel-Robin factor, is exemplified by Winston Maxino, recipient of the “Happiest Pinoy” award. Maxino, the chief operating officer of an aluminum company, has ankylosing spondylitis, and his daughter has Down syndrome.

Maxino’s disease is one wherein his spine becomes swollen causing on-and-off lower back pain.

His daughter needs constant care.

You might say that he has money and therefore can still be happy, but that is not the point of his winning the award. It is this: that he manages to maintain a positive outlook in life, and is able to rise above his problems and help his community.

That is what it takes to be the happiest Filipino.

Come to think of it, that is what one needs to live in the happy Philippine planet, not just merely trappings or illusions of happiness, but proof seen in the quality of our life and how it radiates to our loved ones and neighbors as well.