Public School Teacher Zaldy Bueno Chosen as Cebuana Lhuillier’s Happiest Pinoy 2019
Happiness is standing physically in front of a trial but spiritually rejoicing behind the trial. (Cebuana Lhuillier’s Happiest Pinoy 2019 Winner)
After
months of search and more than 800,000 entries, Cebuana Lhuillier’s Search for
the Happiest Pinoy culminated last May 29, 2019 and hailed the 37-year old
teacher from Gumaca, Quezon Zaldy Bueno as the 4th Happiest Pinoy. He joined the ranks of Richardson Navor (2015), Rommel Arellano (2012), and Winston
Maxino (2009). For many years now, Cebuana Lhuillier’s Search for the Happiest Pinoy have been honoring and celebrating the Filipinos’ innate “optimism, resilience, and hope amidst different life crises.”
Zaldy
bested nine other finalists namely Khaye Celine Maggay (Happiest
Pinoy Youth), Francisca Tumampil (Happiest Pinoy Senior Citizen), Jayson dela
Fuente (Happiest Pinoy PWD), Hercules Soringa (Happiest Pinoy Manggagawang
Pinoy), Rodrigo Roble Jr. (Happiest Pinoy Lingkod Bayan), Fortunato Januto (Happiest
Pinoy OFW), Mark David Cerezo (Happiest Pinoy Entrepreneur), Alfred Santos (Happiest
Pinoy Employee), and Leovy John Terrado (Happiest Pinoy LGBTQ).
It
was a tough time for the
board of judges composed of Usec. Zenaida Maglaya, Gang Badoy Capati, James
Deakin, RJ Ledesma, Love Anover-Lianko, Jonathan Yabut, Winston Maxino,
Rommel Arellano, and Richardson Navor but ultimately they have unanimously chosen
Bueno by virtue of his advocacy of seeing more children’s lives change through
education.
Zaldy volunteered as an ALS teacher and taught on weekends, he even
had his mother as his student at one point and helped her finish her secondary
education. Zaldy also co-founded project PADYAK in 2017, PADYAK stands for
Pidal Apakan Dunong Yayaman, Asenso’y Kakamtan, which aims to provide bicycle
units for students who could not afford to travel to school.
The project turned out huge with so many people donating new and
used bicycle units from all over the Philippines even getting donations from
OFWs abroad. This project drastically increased attendance for students at
school for which their school received a perfect attendance award.
“I am very happy with the results of this year’s search — with
over 800,000 entries received through our branches, online, SMS, and walk-in
entries. It’s been amazing to read the entries of the 10 finalists and Zaldy
proves to be a worthy winner as his tale will definitely inspire countless
people to push on despite life’s difficulties, Zaldy exemplifies the commendable
Filipino spirit of rising up from your current predicament and using that as
fuel to make a difference in the lives of others.” said Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO, Jean Henri
Lhuillier.
Currently, Bueno serves as the head teacher of the English
department at the Gumaca National High School. As a kid, their family would
often encounter financial difficulties, Zaldy would help his mom wash clothes
for their neighbours and would get his daily allowance from selling vegetables
he planted to augment the family income. Zaldy vowed to work hard and study
hard in order to improve their life.
A turning point in Zaldy’s life was when typhoon Rosing hit in
1995 which completely obliterated their house, and forced to stay at the
barangay health center. During clinic days, Zaldy and his family had to move
their things on the street to accommodate the influx of patients.
After graduating secondary school, Zaldy tried to get a college
education but had to stop schooling due to financial constraints. In order to
get back to school, he had to work two jobs, including stints at a tile store
and as an advertiser scout for a local radio station. He finished college after
6 years.
During the mini interview which followed after
the event, Bueno giddily shared his happiness. When he was asked what he will
do with the tax-free 1 million grand prize, he said that that he will use it to
further his Project PADYAK and acquire more bikes so that many students can use
it to get to school. He also excitedly shared that he will use some of it to
treat his parents to a travel abroad.
Congratulations Teacher Zaldy!
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