Teacher helping poor in Cavite to get recognition
Arroyo to meet him after CNN crowns him hero
Manila: A teacher who uses a pushcart in a depressed area in southern suburban Cavite will get recognition from President Gloria Arroyo after he was named by Cable News Network (CNN) as this year's hero who has made a difference to poor people in the Philippines
Efren Peñaflorida, proponent of Kariton (push cart) Klassroom in Cavite will be given the Order of Lakandula the moment he comes home from the US, after receiving a $125,000 (Dh458,750) reward from CNN, said Press Secretary Cerge Remonde.
"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, adding the Philippine government's Order of Lakandula is given to those who dedicate themselves to the welfare of society.
Out of nine contenders for the honour, Peñaflorida received the highest of the 2.75 million online votes that were received by the CNN website over seven weeks.
When he received his award at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Saturday he said: "Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colours, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry. 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."
CNN will air the event on Thursday.
"I realised why I was created and I want to fulfil this mission," Peñaflorida told the Inquirer in an interview.
Humble beginnings
In August 2007, after becoming a victim of gang members in the slum area where he lived, he and his classmates at Cavite National High School started the Dynamic Teen Company (DTC).
Initially, DTC brought food for the poor children, and they also bought items that were sold in the slum areas.
Soon, DTC members started literacy classes every Saturday. They initially used a bike with a sidecar to carry books and a blackboard. Later, to save on costs, DTC decided to use a pushcart in its literacy programme for the poor.
