Search for the Happiest Pinoy: 20 finalists shortlisted, P1M tax-free awaits grand winner

The Cebuana Lhuillier Search for the Happiest Pinoy is now down to 20 finalists and one of them will take home P1 million in cash prizes. The latest edition of the competition garnered close to 800,000 applications from various localities nationwide, making it the biggest in the Search’s ten-year history.

From the 20 finalists, 10 category winners will be named, representing the youth, senior citizens, overseas Filipino workers, lingkod bayan, professionals, manggagawang Pinoy, entrepreneurs, employees, persons with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community. They will each receive P50,000 in cash prizes.

The 10 category winners will go through a panel interview to determine this year’s Happiest Pinoy grand winner who will take home P1,000,000 tax free.

The bi-annual Search for the Happiest Pinoy is an advocacy program of Cebuana Lhuillier, the country’s largest microfinancial services company. The vision behind the search is to celebrate the Filipino values of resilience, hope and tenacity.

“Filipinos are one of the most resilient people in the world, facing life’s challenges with optimism, faith and a can-do attitude. At Cebuana Lhuillier, we believe that this should be recognized and encouraged at all times,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier president & CEO.

“It is only fitting that we reach the final stages of the search this month – to coincide with the International Day of Happiness on March 20, as declared by the United Nations to recognize happiness as a “fundamental human goal.” Similarly, we at Cebuana Lhuillier believe that an inclusive and well-balanced approach to economic growth is a means to promote the happiness and well-being of every person,” Lhuillier adds.

For its efforts, the Search for the Happiest Pinoy has received recognitions from the International Business Awards, 48th Anvil Awards, Philippine Quill Awards, Panata Awards, and the Golden Bridge Awards.