Pursuit of Happiness

BY HELEN HERNANE

The numbers are out. And once again, Finland takes the top spot in the World Happiness Report which was released this March 2024. Everyone knows that anything happening once or twice may be attributed to coincidence or good fortune, but seven? Finland seems to be relaxing at the finish (no pun intended) line of the endless race, whereas the Philippines is lagging behind. So, naturally, everyone wants to know—Is there a code? What is the key to happiness? And how do we get there?

HOW TO BE HAPPY

“When [Finland was] named the happiest country in the world yet again, we all sort of looked at each other and said, ‘There must be a mistake,’” Finnish Ambassador to the Philippines His Excellency Juha Pyykkö quips. Jokes aside, however, Pyykkö made note of something unexpected: “In Finland, we don’t laugh or smile as much as you do here [in the Philippines]. Our happiness stems from being content with our lives. When we explain happiness, we talk about the infrastructure of happiness.”

It all sounds scientific and contradictory to what some, perhaps even most, of us expect. After all, how could you be considered happy if you don’t look it? As the ambassador explains, the “infrastructure of happiness” creates happiness that is based on contentment and not fleeting exhilaration. It’s several factors that, put together, create a society that is free, equal, inclusive, supportive, and trusting.

“We have a welfare system [that provides] free education, good health care. We strive for gender equality; we have freedoms and social security. Also, the key is trust. Trust amongst people, amongst the institutions. Trust in Finnish society is the glue that keeps us together. From when I was a kid to today, when we go grocery shopping in Helsinki, we don’t necessarily feel the need to lock the doors of our homes because we don’t think anything will happen. Trust, as a feeling within you, carries and supports your life. It is the foundation [upon] which our society thrives,” he says.

Pyykkö adds, however, that it is also about the small things. He shares that Finns have a particularly close relationship with nature and the wilderness. As an example, his whole family goes home to Finland and they go skiing. “It’s absolutely silent [in the forest]. And there, I can feel myself absolutely happy,” he reveals.

For happiness to be true and sustainable, therefore, it must be based not just on your personal fulfillment. More importantly, happiness comes from belonging to a society that you can consistently trust and rely on which, in turn, cultivates a thriving culture and institutions that work for the benefit of its people.

More specifically, the World HappinessReport bases its rankings on six variables:GDP per Capita, Social Support, HealthyLife Expectancy, Freedom, Generosity, andCorruption. In a 2022 report from the FinlandToolbox, their country aces nearly every existing report—social justice, prosperity, governance, stability, press freedom, least corruption, trust(in institutions, the police, and fellow citizens),inclusivity, gender equality, work-life balance, children’s rights, education, closeness to nature, environmental cleanliness, sustainable development, and political and civil freedom, among others.

One may wonder, however, about the funding that goes into their welfare systems and government programs that keep these wheels churning for the people’s benefit. Finland hasone of the highest income taxes in the world, with an average tax rate of approximately 43 percent. In comparison, the Philippines has an average tax rate of roughly 20 percent.

Pyykkö admits, “We pay a lot of taxes in Finland. I wouldn’t say we love the taxman, but we gladly pay taxes becausewe get a lot in return and we trust that we will get a lot in return.”

Once again, with trust as the foundation, the Finnish government can impose hefty tax rates. But fully conscious of expectations and accountability, they continue to strive to earn the people’s trust—and so far it’s paying off.

In a 2019 survey, 80 percent of the Finnish population shared that they are “happy to pay their taxes,” while 96 percent believed that “paying taxes is an important civic duty.” And for 98 percent of Finns, taxes are “important for maintaining Finland’s welfare state.”

HIS EXCELLENCY SHARES THERE KEY AREAS WHERE COOPERATION IS WELL UNDERWAY BETWEEN FINLAND AND THE PHILIPPINES––GENDER EQUALITY, EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY.

COOPERATION AND DIALOGUE

His Excellency shares three key areas where cooperation is well underway between Finland and the Philippines—gender equality, education, and technology.

In 2022, Pyykkö became the European Union (EU) Gender Champion—the first male to hold said title—and led a campaign against gender-based violence during his year-long term. Needless to say, the ambassador deeply believes in the importance of gender equality in all aspects.

“All countries have challenges [regarding gender equality] and no country is perfect in that sense. But it’s important to have these dialogues and when I was the champion in 2022, I was able to really strengthen and diversify the dialogue between Finland and the Philippines, not only with the [government], but also with NGOs (non-government organizations) and businesses,” he says.

The ambassador stresses, however, that the journey is not yet over and all countries have to continue to learn from each other on how gender equality can be improved.

Another issue the Finnish Embassy is actively involved in is education. “Education was very important in the development of my country–––. But all over the world, it is statistically proven that societies and economies invested in education progress well. In terms of our cooperation in this field, we have had policy dialogue on issues like teacher education, digitalization, curriculum development, and the future of education,” Pyykkö shares.

In one example, His Excellency reveals online courses developed by Finnish companies that Filipino teachers could use. Pyykkö underscores the importance of teacher education, saying that “if you have good teachers, the teaching results are better. Again, that is research-based.”

Another is the Finnish approach to early childhood education. The ambassador shares that children from one to six years old, even before entering school, are taught through play: “They learn about science and math through play. When eating, you can ask them: ‘How many peas do you have on your plate?’ This early childhood approach is important.”

Pyykkö also adds that from an early age, they makeit a point to teach children media literacy to combat misinformation. With over 200 million active websites existing, everyone—regardless of age—can access nearly unlimited amount of information. Without the right tools (i.e. education), children are especially vulnerable to misinformation or disinformation.

Facebook Global Politics and Government Outreach Director Katie Harbath dubbed the Philippines “patient zero for the war on disinformation” in 2018. And, unfortunately, it seems our country still has not recovered on that front, as trolls and fake news still abound in social media.

For the ambassador, it is important to have a whole-of- society, whole-of-government approach which would pull together government, private businesses, NGOs, academia, and For the ambassador, it is important to have a whole-of-society, whole-of- government approach which would pull together government more to combat this phenomenon.

“Another aspect of this is [Finland] has integrated this fight against disinformation and misinformation in our school system which means even kids in kindergarten are gradually taught media literacy. It’s not a separate subject, but

it is incorporated in all studies. It’s part and parcel of our education system, from bottom to top,” Pyykkö adds.

STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS

These existing areas of cooperation—and hopefully, more in the near future—drive home the importance of rebuilding partnerships between nations. The Finnish Embassy in the Philippines closed in 2012 and was reopened in 2020 to facilitate more trade and commercial interaction, provide immigration services, and for geopolitical reasons.

“In terms of business facilitation, Finland has three big sectors we wantto push here [in the Philippines]: green transition, climate change, circular economy, and energy solutions; digitalization and technology; and lastly, education,” he notes.

Regarding immigration services, Pyykkö adds that there is a growing number of visa and residence permit applications from the Philippines; with plenty of Filipino professionals who want to move to and work in Finland. Currently, the Filipino community in Finland is roughly more than 7,000 persons.

His Excellency shares that Filipinos in Finland are highly respected and appreciated. And with pride, he beams that when Filipino dignitaries visit their countrymen there, they all share the good news that Filipinos love living in Finland.

Pyykkö then turns to the last reason: geopolitical concerns within our region, which are of much interest to them in Finland, and Europe in general. Given what is also happening in Europe between Ukraine and Russia, along with Israel’s War on Gaza, the ambassador laments the questioning of the international rules-based order which has been in place for decades.

“Many of its aspects and its importance are being watered down in some corners of the world. But it’s exactly during these moments when we need more cooperation and more diplomacy. It’s hard to believe this is the way it should be, but diplomacy is about sitting down and trying to understand one another and then, trying to compromise. I’m a strong believer in international cooperation and multilateral systems,” Pyykkö underscores.

It is important to note, however, that believing in peace does not mean refusing any form of defense. In May 2022, several months after Russia invaded Ukraine, Finland applied for membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and became a member in April 2023.

HIS EXCELLENCY SHARES THAT FILIPINOS IN FINLAND ARE HIGHLY RESPECTED AND APPRECIATED. AND WITH PRIDE, HE BEAMS THAT WHEN FILIPINO DIGNITARIES VISIT THEIR COUNTRYMEN THERE, THEY ALL SHARE THE GOOD NEWS THAT FILIPINOS LOVE LIVING IN FINLAND.

He’s magic and brings joy to the world, and we need to also believe in that in a way.”

On a personal note, the ambassador shares that they visited Santa Claus Village, located in Lapland, Northern Finland. There you can meet Santa Claus (plus Mrs. Claus and their elves) any day of the year. Pyykkö says that when he set foot in the village and met the magical figure, big white beard and all, he himself was swept in the magic and for a second believed Santa Claus was real.

“Christmas here in the Philippines is a wonderful experience that I’m really happy to have partaken in, especially since it starts really early. But I dowant to encourage Filipinos to visit Pyykkö also met with officials of the Department of National Defense and raised Finnish technological expertise on integrating green technology in military and naval vessels.

BELIEVING IN MAGIC

On a lighter note, during his speechat the Finland Independence Day celebration on December 6, 2023 at Ascott Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, Pyykkö quipped that he wants Finland to be known in the Philippines not just for their sauna and Santa Claus.

But with Christmas being of high importance to Filipinos, the ambassador was very much willing to be a part of the magic. In 2022, Pyykkö and his wife, Madame Riitta, dressed up as Mr. and Mrs. Klaus for a holiday event at the Mano Amiga Academy, a school that provides access to quality education for underprivileged children.

“It was a fun and wonderful dayfor me and my wife. When we met the first graders, they were really amazed. As you know, Santa Claus comes from Finland, and I was happy to play that role and see the joy in the eyes of the little kids. Then the teenagers entered the classroom, looked at me and my wife, and they were not sure how to react,” Pyykkö shares with a laugh.

“They were deciding whether to laugh at us or react like it’s real and of course, they were trying to act older than they are—but we all have a child within ourselves. Eventually, they allowed themselves to be children again. In a way, Santa Claus and Christmas, there’s a religious side to these that is extremely important. But the other side is magic. Finland, especially to see Santa Claus in Lapland,” he says.

These cultural exchanges—while they may be perceived as light—are also vital, Pyykkö stresses. “When we talk tough political issues, [we haveto remember] we are human beings encountering each other and if we are aware of each other’s cultures, then that always helps to talk about the difficult issues. People-to-people context is an important foundation for diplomacy at large.”

IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORT

Pyykkö has been working for Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1996. Prior to his posting herein the Philippines, he served as the Ambassador of Finland to Greece and Albania. He was also posted in Paris, France; Bangkok, Thailand; Canberra, Australia; and New Delhi, India.

With decades of experience, he shares that the biggest thing a diplomat learns is how to stay open to new things, new people, and new experiences. Every posting, the ambassador shares, is different which is why it is important to stay interested in discovering different things.

“My first posting was in Paris at the Permanent Delegation of Finland to the OECD and me and my wife went. We didn’t have children then. It was the most memorable in the sense that it was the start, but all our postings have been beautiful in many ways,” Pyykkö notes.

Still, being a diplomat is work that demands much and while the ambassador appreciates the challenge that comes with it, he admits that the other side is the adjustment that comes with a new posting. Not just for him, but also and specially, for his family.

“It’s rewarding and challenging [to be a diplomat], but when you have a family, they always start from scratch. I’ve been extremely lucky to have a very capable and beautiful wife and children who were able to adjust. But that’s not always the norm. So I really want to pay respect to my family; they have been able to face the challenges and enjoy every posting with me,” he says.

The key, he shares, is listening to their children. When they’re not okay, they try to help them to correct the situation. The ambassador stresses the importance of listening to their children’s needs, ideas, fears, and dreams.

“[My wife and I] do our best to try to live their lives there with them. With my wife, when we met before the foreign service, she had her own career. She was very successful, but she gave up her career to support mine. That used to be the norm in diplomacy, and fortunately, that’s no longer the case. Spouses can work when they go to postings. My wife hasn’t been able to do that, but she’s been representing Finland with me in very remarkable ways and I’m forever grateful to her for doing that,” Pyykkö ends.

FINLAND'S FEATS

4TH MOST SOCIALLY JUST (SOCIAL JUSTICE INDEX 2019)
4TH GLOBAL PROSPERITY (THE LEGATUM PROSPERITY INDEX 2021)
1ST BEST GOVERNANCE IN THE WORLD (THE LEGATUM PROSPERITY INDEX 2021)
1ST MOST STABLE NATION (FRAGILE STATES INDEX 2021)
2ND PRESS FREEDOM (REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS 2021)
1ST LEAST CORRUPT COUNTRY (CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX 2021)
3RD TRUST IN INSTITUTIONS (GOVERNMENT AT A GLANCE 2021)
1ST TRUST IN THE POLICE (GOVERNMENT AT A GLANCE 2021)
3RD SOCIAL CAPITAL (THE LEGATUM PROSPERITY INDEX 2021)
1ST TRUST IN FELLOW CITIZENS (EUROBAROMETER 2018)
2ND MOST INCLUSIVE NATION (SOCIAL PROGRESS INDEX 2021)
2ND GENDER EQUALITY (GLOBAL GENDER GAP REPORT 2021)
1ST WORK-LIFE BALANCE (KISI WORK-LIFE BALANCE INDEX 2021)
1ST EDUCATION (OECD BETTER LIFE INDEX 2021)
1ST CLOSENESS TO NATURE (HOW’S LIFE 2020 OECD)
1ST SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2022)
1ST MOST POLITICAL AND CIVIL FREEDOM (FREEDOM IN THE WORLD 2022)