Meeting the Happiest Pinoy

Happiest Pinoy

Achieving happiness has been an endless goal for most people around the world. But for the resilient and ever-cheerful Pinoys, being happy is not really a monumental task. Hence, when Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Solutions (CLIS) Chairman Philippe Lhuillier thought of looking for the Happiest Pinoy two years ago, 218 Filipinos heeded his call.

Two years after, it’s time to Search for the next Happiest Pinoy who will also get to bring home a Php 250,000 cash prize, tax-free. Hopefully, it could make him/her happier as well. The search seeks to recognize the country’s most optimistic and passionate Filipinos who overcame difficulties in life and exhibited resilience amid life’s challenges while maintaining that genuine smile.

To know more about the selection process and mechanics, please check the official site of the Search for the Happiest Pinoy 2012 at http://www.happiest-pinoy.com/ and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/happiestpinoy.

Happiest Pinoy Contest Website

Happiness Bootcamp in Nurture Spa, Tagaytay

As of this writing, I am at the Nurture Spa in Tagaytay on day 2 of the first-ever “Happiness Bootcamp” in the Philippines, and even possibly in the world, courtesy of Cebuana Lhuillier. We came in yesterday afternoon for the media briefing followed by a relaxing massage before dinner and the main program.

This will be followed by a learning workshop later in the morning and we’re heading back to Manila.

Happiness Bootcamp in Nuture Spa, Tagaytay

Meeting the Happiest Pinoy of 2010

In the evening program last night, we were introduced to the Happiest Pinoy 2010 top winner Winston Maxino.

Winston Maxino, First Happiest Pinoy Winner, with Blogger Manila in sleep wear.

He bested 217  nominees and six finalists including a wheelchair-bound individual and an amputee. Winston looks like just any ordinary individual, same as you and me. But his positive disposition in life is deeply rooted from his childhood where he learned to accept his asthmatic and sickly condition early on.

Furthermore, he was able to sustain his optimism even when he became the father to a child with Down-Syndrome and eventually became president of the Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines a few years ago.

And just when he thought the worst was over, he was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis, osteoporosis, and uveitis.

But instead of treating them as punishments, he took them as something from which he could learn more about life.

What Makes the Happiest Pinoy, Unhappy?

After his inspiring speech for us, I personally asked him on the side:

“What makes, or can make, the Happiest Pinoy of 2010, unhappy?“

“I become unhappy when I see others unhappy,” he answered back.  He also mentioned that he was once asked the same question by a 6-yr old child as a school guest and he answered that seeing them sad and uninspired even after hearing his story would certainly make him unhappy at least for sometime.

Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Solutions Team

How about you? Can you also view life’s challenges in the same way as our Happiest Pinoy role model?

If you know someone who can also best exemplify being the Happiest Pinoy for 2012, please do consider nominating them until July 31, 2012 and honor their virtue as the Happiest Pinoy 2012.