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Flight chronicles of the backpacker Tutubi, with travelogues, pictures/photos/videos, travel guides, independent and honest reviews, affordable, recommended resorts and hotels (including inns, guesthouses, pension houses, lodges, hostels, condotels, bed and breakfast and other cheap accommodations), commuting guides, routes (sometimes street maps and GPS coordinates/waypoints) and driving directions to answer "how to get there" questions, information and tips on tourism, budget travel and living in Philippines, Exotic Asia and beyond!

Backpacking, independent travel, and flashpacking are cheaper than the "cheapest package tours" and promotional offers around but you can also use travel information for family vacations, even romantic honeymoon destinations.

More than the usual tourist spots and "places to see," this blog advocates heritage conservation, environmental protection, and history awareness for Filipinos, foreigners, and ex-pats wishing to explore Paradise Philippines and Exotic Asia!
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    The Unhappy Planet Index

    I read recently some observations of a balikbayan (i don't why he called them impressions since it's not his first time here) but he always get depressed seeing underfed, un-sheltered, un-clothed and unwashed people that is really part of Manila's landscape.

    I have something for all of you who see and think the same:

    The Happy Planet Index: An index of human well-being and environmental impact', moves beyond crude ratings of nations according to national income, measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to produce a more accurate picture of the progress of nations based on the amount of the Earth's resources they use, and the length and happiness of people's lives.

    The Happy Planet Index (HPI) strips the view of the economy back to its absolute basics: what we put in (resources), and what comes out (human lives of different length and happiness). The resulting Index of the 178 nations for which data is available, reveals that the world as a whole has a long way to go. In terms of delivering long and meaningful lives within the Earth's environmental limits - all nations could do better. No country achieves an overall 'high' score on the Index, and no country does well on all three indicators.

    partial ranking with countries familiar to Filipinos:

    1 Vanuatu
    12 Vietnam
    15 Sri Lanka
    17 Philippines
    23 Indonesia
    31 China
    32 Thailand
    41 Bangladesh
    44 Malaysia
    48 Timor Leste
    61 Austria
    62 India
    63 Brazil
    64 Switzerland
    66 Italy
    70 Netherlands
    76 Papua New Guinea
    77 Burma
    78 Belgium
    81 Germany
    84 Taiwan
    87 Spain
    88 Hong Kong
    89 Saudi Arabia
    91 Cambodia
    94 New Zealand
    95 Japan
    98 Denmark
    100 Brunei
    102 Korea
    108 UK
    109 Laos
    111 Canada
    129 France
    131 Singapore
    140 Australia
    150 USA

    you may not agree with them but read the whole story here before you freak out.

    I got interested in Vanuatu when the immensely popular "Survivor" series on TV landed on their shores.

    Some explanations:

    “People are generally happy here because they are very satisfied with very little,”

    “This is not a consumer-driven society. Life here is about community and family and goodwill to other people. It’s a place where you don’t worry too much. The only things we fear are cyclones or earthquakes.”

    more info about Vanuatu here.

    as for me, I also believe someone (name escaped my memory) saying:

    "Buhay dito sa abroad ay masarap ngunit mahirap; buhay sa pinas ay mahirap ngunit masarap!"

    Island nations seemed too happy also affirming my own conviction--

    Life's a beach!

    Happiness is relative and is a state of mind.

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    posted by GingGoy @ 7:24 PM,

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