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Manila Bulletin devider Lifestyle devider Luminaries and Life devider Literacy and disability inclusion advocate crowned as 2025 Happiest Pinoy

Literacy and disability inclusion advocate crowned as 2025 Happiest Pinoy

Out of 500,000 entries nationwide, Zacarias Mansing Jr. rose to the top in Cebuana Lhuillier's campaign

By MBrand
Published Dec 4, 2025 03:29 pm
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. Selected from more than 500,000 entries, his win marks one of the most extraordinary achievements in the history of Cebuana Lhuillier’s pioneering advocacy.
The awarding ceremony, held last Dec. 2 at Dusit Thani Manila, highlighted the depth and diversity of this year’s competition. 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—comprising public servants, media professionals, social innovators, athletes, and former Happiest Pinoy awardees—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.
Jean Henri Lhuillier, president and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier Inc., emphasized the significance of Zacarias’s win. “Zacarias reminds us that true strength is not the absence of hardship but the courage to lift others as we rise,” he said. “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.”
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.
“Being a Happiest Pinoy is about having a spirit that trusts God in all circumstances, and hands that are always ready to reach out to those in need,” Zacarias shared.
Zacarias’s 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. His work continues to inspire communities, uplift young learners, and strengthen the movement that Cebuana Lhuillier began: a celebration of joy that endures, heals, and transforms.

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