The answer might be as simple as the company we keep, the things around us that make us smile and the food we enjoy.
There’s no doubt that Filipinos are among the jolliest people on the planet. Wherever one might go in this country, he or she will most definitely be met with a smile, a warm greeting, or a hearty laugh. Foreigners often wonder how an entire nation of over 100 million can extend kindness and good cheer even to complete strangers.
In the Gallup 2015 Positive Experience Index, the country ranked fifth in the list of happiest citizens in the world, despite the many socio-economic issues they face every day. However, these survey figures do not completely explain why many Filipinos consistently choose joy over negative emotions.
What’s the real secret behind the trademark Pinoy cheerfulness?
This is a question that Jollibee, the country’s number one fast food brand, answered in an online campaign released last September 10, 2016.
The Jollibee team went around the country to observe the lives of ordinary Filipinos and seemingly simple reasons behind their day-to-day happiness. The “stars” of the video cited sense of humor, appreciation for music, an easy-going spirit, and good food (including Jollibee’s crispylicious and juicylicious Chickenjoy) as some of the core ingredients of Pinoy joy.
The video, however, implies something more profound about the Pinoy psyche: even in the most dismal of situations, the Filipino heart is filled with hope and optimism. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of their lives and the circumstances they find themselves in, they smile, laugh the bad vibes away, they are always to sing and dance, and share their favorite meals with the people they value the most. For them, joy is something that can be discovered in even the most mundane of things they encounter every day.
“Through our best-tasting Chickenjoy, we serve the perfect complement to our customers’ most joyful moments,” added Flores. “We’ve made it our mission to unite Filipinos under one joy, one nation a Chickenjoy Nation.”