OF TREES AND FOREST

(Part I)

A few days ago, March 20 to be exact, the World Happiness Report 2025 was launched. That day, March 20, was International Day of Happiness. The United Nations website described the report as a document that “features a ranking of countries by their average levels of life satisfaction…followed by six chapters looking at ‘caring and sharing’ from different angles.” And yes, to all the cynics out there, the World Happiness Report and the International Day of Happiness are not flimsy gimmicks concocted by some people wanting to take advantage. They were actually based on a United Nations General Assembly Resolution (66/281) adopted in 2012.

The resolution was a short document, barely a whole page, but contained powerful words and vision. I read it and the most powerful part was the preamble, which in part, declared “that the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal,” and recognized “the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings around the world.”

I was reading the document online and kept going back to those statements. I realized that there are times when we make some things so complicated we forget the most fundamental element of life—to be happy. When I was in the Philippine Legislature we would often have debates and discussions about policies that involved rather complicated language and ideas. We would argue over statistics, over the phrasing of words, sometimes even over dates and, especially money. But when you think about it, it is really all about happiness. 

Perhaps it goes with the passage of time but when I was young things were simple. I remember there were a few things that made me happy. The smell of coffee early in the morning as I prepared to accompany my Nanay Curing to the market is a remembrance that never fails to make me smile. So was the memory of my mother holding my hand as we walk early in the morning to Divisoria. As a kid, I enjoyed playing with other kids running around the streets of Tondo pulling a string with a can of Rosebowl sardines at the end of it. But most of the time, I was really happy just sitting by our window observing the people in our community walk by or watching the clouds in the sky.

I realized that even to this day I maintained those habits albeit in a different manner. I still love the smell of coffee in the morning (or any time of the day, really). I still enjoy sitting in one of the Coffee Project’s branches and watch people enjoy walking around Vista Mall. 

The point I am making is that despite all the complications of our lives it really all boils down to one thing—happiness. A mother who goes through everything just to be able to go abroad and work; a father who endures hellish traffic conditions just to get to work on time; a government worker who works very hard for very little pay, have one thing in common: they all want to make their loved ones happy.

In the 2025 World Happiness Report, the Philippines ranked 57th with an Average Life Evaluation of 6.1/10. This is a pretty good ranking considering that this is a global report. The methodology used for the global ranking is in itself very interesting. According to the World Happiness Report website, it was based on a single life evaluation question: Please imagine a ladder with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top. The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you. On which step of the ladder would you say you personally feel you stand at this time?

How would you answer the question? Which step of the ladder of happiness are you standing on now? (mbv_secretariat@vistaland.com.ph and/or http://www.mannyvillar.com)