What is happiness for you?

In this day and age, even with Christmas just around the corner, it could be hard to find happiness nowadays. First, there is inflation. Second, the flood control scandal still plagues the country, with the biggest catch still off the hook.

It turns out, over half a million Filipinos still have a definition of what it means to be happy.

For internationally-acclaimed stand-up comedian Alex Calleja, who hosted the awarding of this year’s 2025 Happiest Pinoy by Cebuana Lhuillier in Dusit Thani Manila early this week, happiness means not having problems.

“Kahit na parang minsan, tinetest tayo ng universe, pero happy lang, happy lang tayo (Even if sometimes, the universe seems to be testing us, but we Filipinos stay happy),” he said during his opening spiel for the ceremonies.

“Filipinos are innately happy people,” noted Jean Henri Lhuillier, president and chief executive officer of Cebuana Lhuillier Inc., which organized the awards as a celebration of joy that endures, heals and transforms.

“We hold the awards to remind people that resilience, gratitude and kindness are deeply embedded in who we are,” Lhuillier further said.

Among the more than 500,000 entries, Cebuana Lhuillier has officially named Zacarias Mansing Jr., a passionate literacy and disability inclusion advocate, as the 2025 Happiest Pinoy. His remarkable journey of transforming personal adversity into a nationwide mission for children’s literacy resonated deeply across the country.

“Zacarias reminds us that true strength is not the absence of hardship but the courage to lift others as we rise. His life — rooted in faith, grit and service — captures exactly what the Happiest Pinoy seeks to celebrate: joy that transforms communities and inspires lasting change,” Lhuillier enthused.

Zacarias first emerged as one of the 10 national category winners before advancing to the final round, where he stood alongside inspiring finalists representing youth and senior citizens, entrepreneurs, persons with disabilities, OFWs, members of the workforce, the LGBTQ+ community, creatives, indigenous peoples and Cebuana Lhuillier clients.

A distinguished panel of judges — composed of public servants, media professionals, social innovators, athletes and former Happiest Pinoy award recipients, evaluated the finalists through a comprehensive process rooted in four criteria: resilience; optimism and genuine happiness; champion of hope and impact; and an x-factor reflecting authenticity.

Zacarias’s story is a testament to that strength. After an accident abroad in 2012 left him paralyzed, he returned home determined to turn his challenges into purpose. Guided by his DRISO values — Determination, Resilience, Inspiration, Service and Optimism — he launched the Books for Kids Project in 2017.

From his wheelchair, he has traveled to more than 300 remote public schools and reached over 50,000 students, championing literacy, disability inclusion and hope across Negros Oriental.

His triumph is more than a personal victory — it is a powerful reminder that purpose can emerge from pain, and that one person’s resolve can ignite lasting change.

“Being a Happiest Pinoy is about having a spirit that trusts God in all circumstances,” he shared during his acceptance speech. “And hands that are always ready to reach out to those in need.”