Arroyo to confer Order of Lakandula on CNN Hero
Efren Peñaflorida of the Dynamic Teen Company (DTC) gives his acceptance speech after he is given the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year award at the CNN Heroes All Star Tribute Gala ceremonies at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, November 21, 2009. (CNN)
MANILA – After being named the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year, Efren Peñaflorida is expected to gain more accolades for his “Kariton Klassroom,” a pushcart education program which gives Filipino youth an alternative to gang membership.
Upon his return from the United States, Peñaflorida will be conferred the Order of Lakandula by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde announced in a statement.
The Order of Lakandula is one of the highest honors given by the Republic of the Philippines. It is conferred on those who dedicate themselves to the welfare of society, perform meritorious political and civic service, and lead lives worthy of emulation.
“President Arroyo joins the entire nation in congratulating Efren Peñaflorida for having been named CNN Hero of the Year… Efren has indeed proven that any individual can help make a difference in the world. He has also shown the world the best in the Filipino,” said Remonde.
“Let each one of us unleash the hero within us by helping the next person as Efren said,” he added.
Peñaflorida and his group, the Dynamic Teen Company, won the Bayaning Pilipino award for their heroic work in bringing education to poor children in Cavite.
The group later began the “Kariton Klassroom,” a mobile classroom that brings around all their teaching materials to the different areas they service. Since 1997, more than 10,000 volunteers are helping educate more than 1,500 kids in depressed areas in Cavite.
Hero within
Peñaflorida received the CNN Hero of the Year citation at the “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute” held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood Saturday night (Sunday in Manila).
He bested nine other contenders from different countries after getting the highest number of online votes. More than 2.75 million votes were cast for 7 weeks, the CNN website noted. More than 9,000 nominations were sent in by viewers.
Peñaflorida received $100,000 to continue his work with Dynamic Teen Company, according to CNN. He earlier got $25,000 for being included in the top 10 CNN Heroes.
In his acceptance speech delivered before 3,000 people, Peñaflorida encouraged the crowd to unleash the “hero in you.”
"Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry," Peñaflorida noted. "Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need.” – With reports from Yong Chavez, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau; TJ Manotoc, ABS-CBN News; and CNN
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Mr President
Being President of the country should be your next aspiration.
Shame on all the public officials who are running the country. Why
does it take a common citizen for these politicians to see that the
country needs classrooms for each child. How can they allocate money
for classrooms if it goes to their pocket. SHAME ON YOU POLITICIANS.
I VOTE EFREN FOR PRESIDENT.
saludo ako sayo EFREN
i will not say anything how many votes did i vote 2 u but this is the only thing that i would like 2 tell u. i have friends from kenya which they vote u instead of their country men cause ur sacrifices and ur heroism is much important than their fellow country men.
guys specially kay justa sayong comment gus2 ko lng itanong eh gan2 "meron p bang maibibigay ang mlakanyang kay efren" kc ang pag kaalam ko ubos na ung kaban ng bayan puros ribbon, plaque at congratulatory note na lng natitira sa baol ng bayan.
ewan ko ba dati ang mga ibang lahi nag pupuntahan sa pinas pra mag aral ngaun ala na akong masyadong nkikita na foreign students.
tsaka malabo ng mabago pa ang EDUCATION SYSTEM sa ating bansa, hlos nauubos ng korapsyon mantakin mo nga nman ang mga aklat mali mali ang spelling ung mga spelling prang ka2lad ng spelling sa TEXT, ang noodle soup dyos ko po ang mhal.
iisa lng ang masasabi ko kung cno man ang manalong pangulo ng pilipinas at gus2 nyong mabago ang sistema ng edukasyon ilgay nyo c BINAY as education secretary, kitang kita nman ang inunlad ng education sa makati ang makti lng ang may pinaka mataas na literacy rate sa buong pilipinas.
at pra kay efren saludo ako sayo keep it up, at mas lalo akong sumalodo sayo ng tanungin k ng isang tv reporter about POLITICS at walang kagatol-gatol mong cnabi na hindi ka sasabak sa politika.
GOD BLESS YOU
...
hindi lang naman kay GMA may problema ang education system ng Pilipinas..kahit sa mga nakaraan Pangulo eh problema na yan... lahat na lang ba ng problema sa pilipinas eh isisi sa nakaupong pangulo? kaya nga may mga sangay ng gubyerno para sila ang sasagot ng mga problema...
kadalasan ang mga solusyon sa problema eh tau rin ang makakasagot at makakapagbigay ng lunas at hindi palaging kelangan i-asa sa kung sino man pulitiko..
AKO AT ANG AKING KASAMAHAN AY SUMASALUDO SA 'YONG KABAYANIHAN
Bilib kami sa 'yo kabayan.Taglay mo ang tunay na pagiging PILIPINO.We are so proud for sharing your knowledge to our young Pilipino.Education ang talagang daan sa pagkakaisa at pag-asenso ng bansa.Pambihira ang katulad mo at lahat kami ay napaluha sa iyong adhikain.Hindi namin akalain na mayroon pa rin tunay na diwa ng pagiging PILIPINO.Ito ang bagay na pinagdamot ng ating mga nakalipas na pinuno ng bansa.Ang bigyan ng edukasyon ang mahihirap at mga katutubong PILIPINO.Sinadya nila ito para maging mangmang ang ating mga ninuno at mga magulang para sila lang ang marunong at makapamuno sa ating bansa.Sana hindi lang mga bata ang turuan pati na ang mga magulang na kulang sa edukasyon.Kaya madali at hindi makapag-isip ng tama lalo na sa ating kinabukasan.Sana maging simbolo ito sa ating mga kababayan.Tama ang sinabi mo, ang tunay na pagbabago ay nasa sarili natin.SALUDO KAMING LAHAT SA 'YO.Disiplina sa sarili ang kailangan at kaalaman sa lahat ng bagay lalo na sa kinabukasan ng bayan.MABUHAY KA.
Mabuhay ka Efren!
You make us proud Efren and we thank God for you. At last one of those who are silently working to make our country a better place and his own countrymen reach for excellency in their lives - has been finally recognized. There are many more unsung heroes in the Philippines - many who sacrifice - work among the poor, forgotten and deprived - to make a difference in their lives. I pray that Efren's work will be a great inspiration and challenge to our leaders - and those who desire to lead our country in 2010 - enough of the talk - you say you love the Filipino people, and want to serve them then show it by your works!
News worthy
I agree with everyone's opinion above. Of course Pacman brought recognition to the country but the real heroism is that of Efren and the countless unrecognized others. Efren is a symbol of struggle against poverty, illiteracy and indifference.
News worthy
I agree with everyone's opinion above. Of course Pacman brought recognition to the country but the real heroism is that of Efren and the countless unrecognized others. Efren is a symbol of battle against poverty, illiteracy and indifference. As he said, we have to unleash the hero in each of us.
SAD
it is SAD that it takes an international news organization as big as CNN for the Philippines to take notice of our true heroes. I am truly disappointed by this reality. Gaya ng sinabi ng iba, ang gubyerno magaling lang mamigay ng award. They're not even close to achieving what Efren has done. What Efren has achieved has far more substance, more meaning, and sends a STRONGER message than Manny (still a pacman fan of course) but to put things in perspective... Efren Penaflorida.. a name every Filipino not only should be proud of, but whose achievements should inspire you to do the same. Basura ang Pilipinas dahil sa gubyerno. Mga tao gaya ni Efren lamang ang tunay na simbulo ng Pilipinas. Ang Pilipinas na hinugis ng ating mga ninuno.
award?
if there's any best award that malacañang could give to efren, that must be to build more classrooms, overhaul the educational system and make it globally competitive, increase the salary of teachers, and make education affordable to every filipino. i do believe that the best antidote to corruption and poverty is education. wala nang magawa ang malacañang kung di magbigay ng mga kung anu-anong "order of blah blah awards! what for? that won't solve the current education crisis. rather, that's a subliminal admission by this administration that HANGGANG KARITON KLASRUM lang ang kaya natin!
another hasty Move by the Palace...
Had Efren not been awarded by the CNN "contest" the Hero Award thru popularity votes by Texting, the Palace should have not noticed his good works among the Children of the Country which the Government had neglected to do by Itself? And now, GMA is joining the Bandwagon...A hero is not made just by the Awards handed by 2.7 millions voting by Text...Efren is doing a job repeated my thousands other Unrecognized Individuals All Over. He, when time comes could be one of the Great Filipinos for the Services rendered to his fellow countrymen, but a Hero? A poor Soldier putting his life on the Front Line is more of a Hero, or a Firefighter going beyond the call of Duty saving Lives is a Hero, or a Perfect Stranger going out of his way to Help risking his own life or even sacrificing It is a Hero.