Palace Welcomes International Poll Result Making PH 3rd Happiest Country

DESPITE the economic and political struggles and frequent natural calamities, the Philippines has been named as the third of the happiest countries in the world.

"We enter the new year with the good news that the Philippines is the third happiest country in the world, the fifth most optimistic about the country’s economic prosperity, and the ninth most optimistic about the prospects for 2018,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque a statement.

A Filipina smiles as she displays a Philippine flag during an event at the Luneta Grandstand. AFP file photo

American polling firm Gallup International ranked the Philippines third in the happiest countries list in its 41st annual global yearend poll, next to Fiji and Colombia.

The Philippines’ net happiness score posted a five-point increase from 79 in 2016 to 84 in 2017, retaining its rank from last year.The survey also placed the country as the fifth most optimistic about the country’s economic prospects and the ninth most hopeful for 2018 prospects.

Roque said that such optimism could be attributed to “the palpable change our people have felt under the leadership” of President Rodrigo Duterte, citing the country’s fast-growing economic growth, as well as the record-high stock trading and the record-breaking investments.“Our people have, indeed, appreciated these changes as reflected in the survey numbers. The challenge, therefore, is for us in the government to sustain the pace and momentum of our economic growth and bring it to the greatest number of our people,” Roque said.