INTRODUCING OUR JUDGES

As Cebuana Lhuillier’s Search for the Happiest Pinoy embarks on its fourth run, nine outstanding individuals with exceptional backgrounds have been selected to become part of the panel of judges to elect this year’s Philippines’ Happiest Pinoy.

These personalities will deliberate and evaluate the nominees in order to determine the next Happiest Pinoy winner who best exemplifies the values of optimism, resilience, and hope among Filipinos amidst different life crises.


Usec. Zenaida Cuison Maglaya

Undersecretary of Regional Operations Group
Department of Trade and Industry


Usec. Zenaida is currently the Undersecretary of the Regional Operations Group of the Department of Trade and Industry, which supervises sixteen (16) regional offices nationwide. She started her career in DTI by assisting small and medium entrepreneurs and rationalized trade fairs to better serve the marketing needs of SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises). In 2007, she was conferred the Presidential Lingkod Bayad Award, the highest category of the Civil Service Commission’s Honor Awards Program.


Gang Badoy Capati

Founder, Rock Education Project Inc.


Gang is primarily a writer, a public intellectual, and an alternative educator best known for founding RockEd Philippines. RockEd Philippines advocates civic education through rock and roll culture, mainly music and art performances. Aside from being known as an individual committed to volunteerism and a disaster relief operations organizer, she is also the Director of Project Steady and is also a Mindanao Peace Games Advocate. In 2010, she was recognized as one of The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) and received the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) award that same year.


James Deakin

TV Host, Journalist & Online Influencer


James is best known as a multi-media and award-winning automotive journalist, event host, inspirational speaker, key opinion leader, brand ambassador, road safety advocate and anchor at CNN Philippines. His knowledge in this field helps him in promoting and creating a better transportation experience for everyone. Behind all these achievements, he started as a dishwasher in a motel before becoming the most formidable and respected name in Philippine motoring.


RJ Ledesma

Motivational Speaker & Co-Founder of EnterPH


He currently serves as the Honorary Consul of Monaco and is the co-founder of EnterPH. RJ Ledesma is best known as a sought-after motivational speaker, three-time Best Male Emcee Awardee at the Aliw Awards, three-time National Book Awards finalist and the best-selling author of six books. His interest in entrepreneurship, lead him to become a business mentor. He also serves as the TV Host of One News/Bloomberg TV Philippines’ show Bright Ideas which features start up businesses. RJ is an Agora Awardee for Outstanding Achievement in Entrepreneurship for Small Scale Enterprises.


Love Añover-Lianko

TV Host, GMA Network


Love is best known as the segment host of the longest running morning show, Unang Hirit. She is a senior producer, weather forecaster, reporter, writer, editor and a TV Host of GMA Network for 17 years now. As a journalist, she produced numerous documentaries and informative shows that cater to all ages.


Jonathan Yabut

Winner, The Apprentice Asia
Founder & Managing Director, JY Consultancy and Ventures


Jonathan emerged as the winner of The Apprentice Asia, the hit Asian reality TV show. Following his win, he served as a Chief of Staff of AirAsia reporting directly to Tony Fernandes, a well-respected business mogul. He is known as a multi-awarded marketer, author of motivational books, an HR professional, and is dubbed as “Asia’s Millennial Guru”. He is the founder and managing director of his own marketing consultancy firm, JY Consultancy & Ventures.


Winston Maxino

Happiest Pinoy Winner 2010


The first ever Happiest Pinoy Winner, Winston Maxino, is a sought-after inspirational speaker and is currently a management consultant. He was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis, an incurable bone disease, and at the same time, found out that his daughter was diagnosed with Down syndrome. Instead of letting these challenges bring him down, he used this as a driving force to make the best out of his life.


Rommel Arellano

Happiest Pinoy Winner 2012


Rommel is awarded as the 2012 Happiest Pinoy Winner. He currently serves as guidance counselor and an adviser of a PWD organization in Limay, Bataan, his hometown. He is an inspirational and resource speaker, and a lecturer. He was awarded as a “Natatanging Alangeno” in recognition of his efforts to contribute to his community and for serving as inspiration to the youth.


Richardson Navor

Happiest Pinoy Winner 2015


The current title holder of the 2015 Happiest Pinoy, Richardson Navor, is a Certified Public Accountant - Financial Analyst, and an accounting professor. Despite being diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at a young age, he managed to standood strong and focus on the positive things in life amidst his condition and he also made sure to overcome life’s challenges with the help of those around him. He graduated as Magna Cum Laude at University of the East – Caloocan; and was also declared as one of the Jose Rizal Model Students of the Philippines and the Ten Outstanding Students in the Philippines.