"Creation of Bhutan's laws is hinged on the populace's happiness ... 'if the Government cannot create happiness for its people, there is no purpose for the Government to exist' ... (Bhutan) is very concerned in assessing and determining its peoples are always happy in all aspects of life."
"I'll have a blue Christmas with you ... Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree ... You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white ..."
Nostalgia is in the air as holiday season's tunes, with this one popularized by Elvis Presley in 1957, fill the air. This is specially so for those who are far from home, family and friends like me. My Christmas may be white with snow but definitely not blue.
Don't they say how one feels is just a mindset? In my case, I decide to be contented and happy no matter how far I am from home now.
Already, at the onset of this Yuletide season, we greet everyone "A Merry Christmas!" or "Happy Holidays!" These greetings would suffice rather than purchasing gifts for all at this time when most Filipinos are experiencing hard times, post pandemic and with the persistent rise in commodity prices.
Can Filipinos be happy when they remain constantly alarmed and apprehensive if their Government is sincerely looking after their welfare?
Bhutan as a Model
This season reminds me of how Bhutan's policy on happiness and people's welfare continues to amaze me.
Bhutan is a very small landlocked country in the Himalayas with a population of only about 730,000. This country is just about the size of Maryland state in the US. Maryland, small as it is, has a packing population of approximately 6 million.
It is a predominantly Buddhist country popular for its monasteries, cliff-hanging structures and a populace brimming with contentment. Also a Carbon Sink, 70 percent of Bhutan is covered with trees and foliage.
Bhutan is big on health. It was commended by the World Health Organization for its rapid and coordinated response to the Covid-19 virus. It recorded only four deaths and 19 cases of Covid-19.
Countries like Valenzuela (2013) and the United Arab Emirates and India (2016) also established own Ministries of Health emulating Bhutan.
Gross National Happiness
Bhutan is more concerned of its people's mental security rather than the country's Gross Domestic Product Index.
Its Gross National Happiness (GNH) Index value increased from 0.743 in 2010 to 0.781 in 2022. It is predicted to be higher by the end of 2023. This trend demonstrates Bhutan's commitment to maintain an environment that prioritizes welfare and happiness even in the face of global economic downturns.
The term was first coined in 1972 by the fourth King of Bhutan, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who still remains at the helm. He eventually created the very first Ministry of Happiness (MoH) in the world.
"The concept implies that sustainable development should take a holistic approach to notions of progress and give equal importance to the non-economic aspects of wellbeing and happiness."
Keeping Every Bhutanese Happy
The King mandated that the GNH must influence Bhutan’s development policy.
Its GNH Index is Bhutan's backbone and foundation in creating a measurement tool useful for policymaking and policy incentives for the government, private businesses and non-governmental organizations "to increase societal wellbeing and happiness".
"The GNH Index includes both traditional areas of socio-economic concern such as living standards, health and education and less traditional aspects of culture, community vitality and psychological wellbeing.
"It is a holistic reflection of the general wellbeing of the Bhutanese population rather than a subjective psychological ranking of ‘happiness’ alone."
The Happiness Framework
In the creation of the Bhutan's MoH headed by the Prime Minister, it becomes charged with implementing the country's GNH. Heads of all state departments are mandated to monitor and "measure" happiness of its members and constituencies.
Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay considers health and education as "the most powerful social levelers". If each Bhutanese is happy and informed, he remains healthy.
The GNH framework has nine constituent domains: psychological welfare, health, time use and balance, education, cultural diversity and resilience, good governance, community vitality, ecological diversity and resilience, and living standard.
Creation of Bhutan's laws must be hinged on the populace's happiness. "If the Government cannot create happiness for its people, there is no purpose for the Government to exist," the King opined.
Bhutan, considered as the "Happiest Country in the Planet", is very concerned in assessing and determining its peoples are always happy in all aspects of life.
(email opinyon.luchie@gmail.com.)
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