07 March 2015

PHL is the Region's Top 'Positive Thinkers'

Positive Thinking Philippines
There is no doubt that Filipinos are resilient people. That resiliency has kept many of them strive hard to rebuild despite getting hit hard from all sides. Hence, it is not surprising that the country ranks the highest in the Asia Pacific region when it comes to thinking positively, says a study.

The Gallup-Healthways Global Well-Being Index for 2013, a study that seeks to measure people’s perceptions of their well-being, claimed Philippines registered a high 32 percent—greater than Asian and global average of 14 percent and 17 percent, respectively.

"Filipinos have historically reported high positivity related to employment, with 65 percent reporting that it was a good time to find a job in 2013 and 63 percent reporting so in 2011,” the study noted in its findings.

According to Gallup’s statement, the index is organized into five elements:

Purpose: liking what you do each day and being motivated to achieve your goals
Social: having supportive relationships and love in your life
Financial: managing your economic life to reduce stress and increase security
Community: liking where you live, feeling safe, and having pride in your community
Physical: having good health and enough energy to get things done daily

Globally, Philippines ranked 38th among those who were thriving in three or more of the five elements with 24 percent.

Panama is considered the happiest country in the world in 2013, with 61 percent, followed by Costa Rica (44), Denmark (40), Austria (39) and Brazil (39).

The war-stricken Afghanistan had the lowest level of those thriving in three or more elements, registering only 1 percent.

Despite gains in purpose well-being, the Philippines ranked poorly in terms of financial well-being.

The said index noted that Filipinos are "suffering (30 percent) than thriving (18 percent) in this element, and suffering is more prevalent among rural residents (35 percent) than urban residents (24 percent)."

The Aquino government trumpets the Philippines as a rapidly growing economy in Southeast Asia.

Its rich neighbors—Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Taiwan—have the highest thriving levels of financial well-being in the region.

The Philippines also enjoyed a high level of community well-being at 42 percent—versus the regional (25) and global (26) figures.

The findings also cited the Philippines’ thriving social well-being at 35 percent, still higher than Asia overall (19) and the rest of the world (23).

In conclusion, the findings recognized the Philippines’ unique opportunity to capitalize on its assets—a balanced economic outlook and Filipinos' resilience against external shocks
during the financial crisis—and on the population’s high sense of purpose to improve financial well-being and address the effects of rising inequality, poverty, and underemployment.

The Global Index surveyed the Philippines before November 8, 2013, the day Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), considered the strongest storm to hit land, happened.