MANILA, Philippines – Zacarias C. Mansing, a volunteer from Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, has been named the grand winner of the 2025 National Search for the Happiest Pinoy.
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| Photo courtesy: Zacarias C. Mansing |
The award, part of an advocacy campaign by a prominent money remittance company, recognizes Filipinos who inspire others through resilience, optimism, and selfless service.
He was cited “for exemplifying the true spirit of the Filipino—joyful amid challenges, resilient in adversity, and selfless in serving others,” inspiring a nation to seek happiness not in what we have, but in who we are and what we share with others.
A tragic car accident in Dubai in 2012 left Zacarias paralyzed from the chest down while working as an overseas Filipino worker, yet he refused to let his disability define him.
Instead, he turned his life around, becoming a socio-civic volunteer, motivational speaker, education and disability advocate, and a DepEd stakeholder who touches countless lives through service.
At the heart of his work is the Books for Kids Project, a literacy outreach program he launched in 2017 to support public schoolchildren in remote areas of Negros Oriental.
Through this initiative, he promotes reading, inclusive education, awareness about disabilities, anti-bullying, and core Filipino values among young learners.
“Disability is not a hindrance in helping the community and in making a difference in the lives of others,” Zacarias said, as he encouraged others to find strength in adversity.
Despite physical challenges, his project has reached over 300 public schools and more than 50,000 students across 22 municipalities and cities in his home province.
His dedication has earned him numerous awards, including the Giving Economy Forum Award for Volunteerism (2025), Inspiring Balik-bayan Award (2023), Hope Hero Award (2023), Outstanding Volunteer Award (2022), and Gawad Geny Lopez Jr. Bayaning Pilipino Award (2019).
For Zacarias, being the Happiest Pinoy means “having a spirit that thanks God in all circumstances, a heart that unconditionally loves others, and a hand that reaches out to those in need.”
Through his unwavering faith, relentless service, and joyful spirit, Zacarias C. Mansing proves that true happiness comes not from what life gives us, but from what we give back to others.
— The Summit Express