Vote for Pinoy in CNN ‘hero’ tilt, Pinoys urged

Philippine officials in the United States urged Filipinos to vote for countryman Efren Peñaflorida, Jr. as the “Hero of the Year" of international news channel Cable News Network (CNN). The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Philippine Ambassador to the US Willy Gaa asked Filipinos to vote for the “champion of the marginalized Filipino youth" who changed the lives of 1,500 children. “Efren serves as a champion to the marginalized Filipino youth. He has gone a long way with his pushcart and we know that he can go even further if chosen as this year’s ‘Hero of the Year.’ It is in this note that I exhort the Filipino community in the United States to aid in furthering Efren’s cause by casting your votes online in support of him," Gaa said. Voting period will run until November 19. A link to the voting page can be accessed at http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/vote/. Peñaflorida made it to the top 10 finalists of CNN’s “Hero of the Year" for inspiring impoverished children in the Philippines through education. “Efren has proved that one person, with his determination and selflessness, can touch the lives of many and make a difference in the world," Gaa said. Born to a poor family in Cavite City, Penaflorida witnessed the growth of teenage gangs in the Philippines, which according to him, can be attributed to poverty. He and a group of friends in high school established the “Dynamic Teen Company" (DTC) to divert their attention to education. “DTC has grown to become a 10,000-member volunteer group teaching basic reading, writing, arithmetic and English every Saturdays to marginalized children in the slums of Cavite City. Using a roaming ‘pushcart’ filled with books, pens, tables and chairs, they are able to transform places such as cemeteries and dump sites into classrooms," the DFA said. In 12 years, Peñaflorida and his group have changed the lives of over 1,500 children. Peñaflorida’s heroism caught the attention of an international audience in this year’s “Hero of the Year" contest sponsored by CNN. Out of a pool of nearly 9,000 applicants, Penaflorida successfully made it to the top ten finalists. The winner, which will be chosen through an online public voting, will be awarded with a $100,000 cash prize. - GMANews.TV