THE search for the happiest Filipino is on.
The nationwide Search for the Happiest Pinoy is back to give recognition to the ones who embody the positive image of the Filipinos.
"This is our way of celebrating the values of optimism, resilience, and hope among Filipinos," said Michael Sena, head of Cebuana Lhuillier's Integrated Marketing Communications Group.
"With our Search for the Happiest Pinoy, we want to recognize outstanding Filipinos who are able to both rise above life's challenges and positively impact the lives of other people with their positive outlook in life," he added.
The search is part of Cebuana Lhuillier's commitment to provide consumer happiness and further promoting positivity.
Inspired by the Gross National Happiness Index coined by Bhutan King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, Cebuana Lhuillier wants to stress the importance of non-economic aspects of well-being in sustainable development of the country.
General manager Jonathan Batangan called the Filipino public aged 18 years old to nominate Filipinos of the same age who have good moral character and have lived with optimism despite trials.
Nominations may be submitted until March 31, 2015 while winners will be announced June 2015.
Qualified happy Filipinos will be judged based on the following criteria: positive outlook in life, 30 percent; proven ability to rise above life's challenges, 35 percent; and positive impact on the lives of others, 35 percent.
Nominees will be screened by a committee composed of PJ Lhuillier Group of Companies officers and managers to determine the Top 20 semi-finalists.
The Top 20 semi-finalists will be forwarded to the board of judges who will identify the Top 10 finalists who will undergo a panel interview.
Aside from the 2015 Happiest Pinoy, Cebuana Lhuillier will also give special awards including the Happiest Student Award and Happiest Overseas Filipino Worker Award.
The happiest OFW may be nominated by anyone while the happiest student will be selected from nominations made by school organizations from the different colleges and universities.
The Happiest Pinoy grand winner will receive P1M while the nine runners-up will have P50,000 each.
Special awardees will also receive P25,000 each.
To nominate, forms are available from the more than 1,700 Cebuana Lhuillier's branches nationwide.
Forms may also be downloaded from the Happiest Pinoy website www.happiest-pinoy.com and its Facebook page www.facebook.com/happiestpinoy.
Nominations must be submitted to the Search for the Happiest Pinoy Secretariat at 2/F Annex 2, PJL Corporate Centre, 1782 Nicanor Garcia cor. Candelaria St., Makati City.
Accomplished nomination forms may also be scanned and sent to happiest-piniy@pjlhuillier.com.
In 2010, the search only had 300 nominees which grew to 13,000 in 2012.
Batangan said they are expecting more nominations from 30,000 to 50,000 this time as they have been reaching out schools and different offices nationwide.
With the growth of the search, Batangan said they are brewing a Happiest Pinoy search for OFWs worldwide to also recognize more OFWs whose positive disposition are unparalleled given their sacrifices abroad.