Smiles forever and ever

You see them everywhere you go hanging out in little groups with smiles on their faces.  

The children in Banaue, Philippines have never traveled, never played Sony Playstation, never gone to the mall, never seen a movie in a theater and yet, they smile about almost everything.  

They're happy.

There was nothing spectacular about the moment that I took this picture other than that I was simply walking from the hotel to the town square for lunch.

The children were playing in front of their homes like kids do around the world.

As I passed by, just like any other tourist that comes to the oldest rice terraces in the world, they smiled and laughed and tried to catch my eye.

It worked :)

This photo is over a decade old now and these kids are probably married with children of their own.

The smiles will continue with their children and their children's children for generations to come.

Why is that you ask?

That's how Philippinos are.  It's the culture, it's the world's happiest country.  

Philippines, mahal ko kayo. Mabuhay!