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The Search for the Happiest Pinoy grand finals will
decide who among (standing, from left) Randy Halasan, Richardson Navor, Cyprian
Jade Basa, Rodolfo Mendoza, Eduardo Hernal, Jr., Julia Marquez, Johnny Medrano,
Rustie Quintana, (seated, from left) Don De Vera and NapreyAlmario will take home
the P1 million cash prize.
The Search for the Happiest
Pinoy 2014 Top 10 finalists are revealed. Celebrating the values of
optimism, resilience and hope among Filipinos, the competition aims to find a
Filipino who has a positive outlook in life, was able to rise above life’s
challenges and had a positive impact in the lives of others. More than 280,000 entries reviewed through judging
sessions and deliberations, ten were
identified to be the most
compelling. From these finalists, one will emerge as the grand winner
of the Search which will be
announced during the awards night on September 10, 2015 at
the Solaire Resorts and Casino. A P1 Million cash prize, tax-free, awaits the
Search for the Happiest Pinoy 2014 grand winner which can be anyone of these:
Johnny Medrano of Batangas
has been deprived of walking since he was young but this did not stop him from learning basket weaving,
embroidery, and drawing. Through hard work and determination, he was able to
send his siblings to school. With the help of DepEd’s Alternative
Learning System, Johnny was able to finish a vocational course in electronics and now runs
his own watch and cellphone repair shop. He has also become a prominent
resource speaker for different seminars.
Rustie Quintana was once a
street kid in Plaza Divisoria, Cagayan de Oro City. Eager to learn, he was admitted to the DepEd’s Alternative Learning
System program for free. He soon discovered his talent for the arts and started
selling his artworks to send his siblings to school. In
2005, Rustie received an award from the British Council’s I am a Changemaker
program while his organization received the Ten Accomplished Youth
Organizations Award in 2012. He recently earned a degree in Development
Communication from Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan.
Rodolfo Mendoza of Nueva
Ecija was born handicapped but he did not let his condition get in the way of his education.
Studying in a normal school, he excelled in academics, became a dean’slister and earned an accounting degree.
In 2008, Rodolfo received the Apolinario Mabini award as the Disabled Filipino
of the year. Today, he serves as a PWD (person with disability) advocate, being
the president of the Central Luzon Federation of PWDs and Region III’s National
Anti-Poverty Commission Representative for PWDs.
Without prior teaching
experience, Randy Halasan took a teaching job in SitioPegalongan, a remote area
in Davao’s Marilog District. After years of teaching and immersing in the
community, Randy was able to
appreciate his job and is now the school’s teacher-in-charge. Through his
efforts, a cultural-minority high school was established, bridges
were built over two rivers he used to cross, and the tribe in Pegalongan are
informed about their rights. In 2014, Randy was the only Filipino to win the Ramon
Magsaysay Award.
Eduardo Hernal, Jr. of
Taguig City comes from an underprivileged family. In 1992, he finished BS Criminology while serving as a soldier at
the Philippine Navy Headquarters in Manila. During an Abu Sayyaf encounter in
2003, Eduardo was shot in the head and back. He miraculously survived the
traumatic brain injury but was left paralyzed. Instead of dwelling on his
situation, he studied Theology and became a pastor. Nowadays, he
renders church services for free, sends scholars to school, and helps farmers
earn a living.
Julia “Juling” Marquez, a
78-year-old retired teacher from Batangas, started working for her education at
age 11, following the death of her mother. She worked as a helper, a vendor,
and a store keeper to sustain herself through elementary and high school where
she both graduated with honors. She married at age 19 but continued to work in
the morning and study at night to graduate from the Philippine Normal College. Nowadays, Juling helps her community as an active
church member and by sponsoring various medical missions.
Don De Vera is an “architect
on wheels” from Las Pinas City. When he was just five months old, an accident
caused complications to his spine which left him unable to walk. Determined to fulfill his dream of building houses and skyscrapers,
he studied hard and finished a master’s degree in architecture. He also earned a master’s degree in International Affairs in
Comparative and International Disability Policy which he uses to help his
fellow PWDs. He also designed a permanent homes for Yolanda victims in coordination with the NHA and DPWH.
Richardson Navor was born
with Cerebral Palsy. Rather
than letting other people’s judgments get the better of him, he used his
physical limitations to inspire people. Back in college, he was
student council president and graduated magna cum laude with multiple
leadership and academic awards. Currently a financial analyst, Richard has
formed an organization called People Uplifting the Student and the Handicapped
(PUSH) to show his advocacy for youth empowerment and his support to PWDs.
In 2003, Cyprian Jade Basa,
a 19-year-old student from Capiz, lost his home during a super typhoon. Guided by optimism, he was able to help his family and
neighbors to recover from the disaster and even volunteered to help his
community. He put up ‘Sama-samaTayongLahat
Organization’ which
conducts feeding programs, clean-up drives, and tutorial services. At a young age, Cyprian has already received various
awards including the Ten Outstanding Boy Scouts in the Country in 2012 and the
GawadGeny Lopez Jr. BayaningKabataang Pilipino award in 2014.
Suffering from polio since he was a kid, Naprey Almario of Davao City did not let his disability stop him from finishing his education and taking up
a master’s degree. The former teacher and businessman from Davao City later
formed a volunteer group called Behind the Rolling Chair, which reaches out to
communities through different projects that help the poor and vulnerable
children, especially those with disability.
Congratulations and Good Luck to the Top 10 Finalist for Grand Finale of Cebuana Lhuillier Happiest Pinoy! (^,^)
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