Bhutan has this concept of GNH or Gross National Happiness. It stands in contrast to GNP or Gross National Product in the sense that GNP represents humanity's drive for materialism while GNH goes well beyond that. Beyond tangible riches, GNH is the measure of a country's "common welfare and infused with a good dose of spirituality," as Katherine Marshall puts it. The King of Bhutan, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, conceived GNH out of Buddhist principles, one of which is the "notion that the ultimate purpose of life is inner happiness." Which is not suprising, Bhutan being a predominantly Buddhist country.
Ours largely being a Christian country, I don't know if we had the same vision some years back. With parts of our country significantly inhabited by our Muslim brothers and sisters, I too don't know if they had the same thing in mind in the past. Last year, Gloria Arroyo boasted the country's GDP with 7.5% growth during the second quarter of 2007. But today, not one of these economic indicators gives us more reasons to greet each day with gaiety. The rising costs of our basic needs cast a long shadow on our faces. The IBON Foundation said that, even though the nation's per capita income would rise, it "does not translate to a better life for the ordinary Filipino" for several reasons. One is the widening income disparities. Two is the inability of legislated wages to keep-up with the rising costs of living. Sort of makes you wonder if we still have any reason to be happy with the way things are doing on this side of the world.
But what if legislate our own version of GHP like that of Bhutan's? Surely we'd like to know an approximation of this country's level of happiness, although I reckon the answer might easily come without having to resort to any survey. But try to look at a survey conducted by the World Values Survey and one might begin to wonder why from a 40.2% of people being "very happy" and 50.2% being "quite happy" in 1996 the percentage of those who are "very happy" descended to 38.4% and those who are "quite happy" to 49.2%.
Frankly, we do not really have to wondery why. Today, those numbers might even have already bloated to kingdom come. It's enough to say that the long queues for cheap NFA rice—"cheap" if you live above the poverty lines—under the heat of the sun certainly isn't a reason to be happy. It's enough to say that the conflict in Mindanao and the useless deaths there have nothing to do with all the reasons in the world to be happy. It's enough to say that the unending rise in the cost of the basic necessities to survive isn't a reason for us to frolick and dance around ala-Oreta while under a state of nirvana.
On the contrary, those are reasons enough to meet each sunrise with a heavy heart and heaving mind, quite apart from resorting to this nation's favorite pasttime, which is suicide. I don't exactly know the figures, but I do recall two recent and separate incidents where children took the rope and ended their lives. In Cadiz, Negros Occidental, an eight-year-old boy did so barely two weeks ago. Two days after, another boy in the same province hanged himself. The latter had everything to do with the way we cherish our material possessions. The former had everything to do with the way we deprive ourselves of happiness from the simplest pleasures we yearn for amidst the crushing forces poverty.
And then there was Mariannet Amper, the twelve-year-old girl who comitted suicide after her father failed to give her a hunder pesos for her school project. The grim face of poverty could very well be seen in her family's situation. It speaks of inequity and deprivation in poignant proportions. More than that, and probably worse than anything else, her death signifies a child's loss of hope when in this world children ought to be the spring of hope. How cruel can this world get? Indeed, how mad can this world become other than that?
There's this Will Smith movie I do recall. The film's title, The Pursuit of Happyness, exemplifies exactly that—the pursuit of happiness. I do not know now what will become of this country given the turbulent events, literally and figuratively, storming us in many ways. Our pursuit of our happiness today comes at a time like that in the life of Chris Gardner—impoverished in all senses of the word while a supposedly robust economy is pushing this country's boundaries elsewhere. Exactly where, I do not know. We continue to pursue that elusive happiness, gripping it with our palms firmly once we get hold of it, only to slip through our fingers like water the moment we stare at it long enough.
Being poor in body but rich in spirit, happiness could at least taste sweet enough, although it isn't really enough. Being poor in spirit but rich in body, any nation's sweet GNP could very well speak for it. But being anorexic in both body and soul, now that's something truly alarming. It can lead you to that state common to people who laugh and cry at the same time.
Ours largely being a Christian country, I don't know if we had the same vision some years back. With parts of our country significantly inhabited by our Muslim brothers and sisters, I too don't know if they had the same thing in mind in the past. Last year, Gloria Arroyo boasted the country's GDP with 7.5% growth during the second quarter of 2007. But today, not one of these economic indicators gives us more reasons to greet each day with gaiety. The rising costs of our basic needs cast a long shadow on our faces. The IBON Foundation said that, even though the nation's per capita income would rise, it "does not translate to a better life for the ordinary Filipino" for several reasons. One is the widening income disparities. Two is the inability of legislated wages to keep-up with the rising costs of living. Sort of makes you wonder if we still have any reason to be happy with the way things are doing on this side of the world.
But what if legislate our own version of GHP like that of Bhutan's? Surely we'd like to know an approximation of this country's level of happiness, although I reckon the answer might easily come without having to resort to any survey. But try to look at a survey conducted by the World Values Survey and one might begin to wonder why from a 40.2% of people being "very happy" and 50.2% being "quite happy" in 1996 the percentage of those who are "very happy" descended to 38.4% and those who are "quite happy" to 49.2%.
Frankly, we do not really have to wondery why. Today, those numbers might even have already bloated to kingdom come. It's enough to say that the long queues for cheap NFA rice—"cheap" if you live above the poverty lines—under the heat of the sun certainly isn't a reason to be happy. It's enough to say that the conflict in Mindanao and the useless deaths there have nothing to do with all the reasons in the world to be happy. It's enough to say that the unending rise in the cost of the basic necessities to survive isn't a reason for us to frolick and dance around ala-Oreta while under a state of nirvana.
On the contrary, those are reasons enough to meet each sunrise with a heavy heart and heaving mind, quite apart from resorting to this nation's favorite pasttime, which is suicide. I don't exactly know the figures, but I do recall two recent and separate incidents where children took the rope and ended their lives. In Cadiz, Negros Occidental, an eight-year-old boy did so barely two weeks ago. Two days after, another boy in the same province hanged himself. The latter had everything to do with the way we cherish our material possessions. The former had everything to do with the way we deprive ourselves of happiness from the simplest pleasures we yearn for amidst the crushing forces poverty.
And then there was Mariannet Amper, the twelve-year-old girl who comitted suicide after her father failed to give her a hunder pesos for her school project. The grim face of poverty could very well be seen in her family's situation. It speaks of inequity and deprivation in poignant proportions. More than that, and probably worse than anything else, her death signifies a child's loss of hope when in this world children ought to be the spring of hope. How cruel can this world get? Indeed, how mad can this world become other than that?
There's this Will Smith movie I do recall. The film's title, The Pursuit of Happyness, exemplifies exactly that—the pursuit of happiness. I do not know now what will become of this country given the turbulent events, literally and figuratively, storming us in many ways. Our pursuit of our happiness today comes at a time like that in the life of Chris Gardner—impoverished in all senses of the word while a supposedly robust economy is pushing this country's boundaries elsewhere. Exactly where, I do not know. We continue to pursue that elusive happiness, gripping it with our palms firmly once we get hold of it, only to slip through our fingers like water the moment we stare at it long enough.
Being poor in body but rich in spirit, happiness could at least taste sweet enough, although it isn't really enough. Being poor in spirit but rich in body, any nation's sweet GNP could very well speak for it. But being anorexic in both body and soul, now that's something truly alarming. It can lead you to that state common to people who laugh and cry at the same time.
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