Efren Penaflorida: The First Filipino Educator with Pushcart Classrooms

Efren Geronimo Penaflorida, Jr, was born on March 5, 1981. By profession, he is a school teacher
and a social worker in the Philippines. Currently, he is the founding chairman of the Dynamic
Teen Company; which generously offers education as an excellent alternative to street littering
of young children, by having a quality but informal education through the humble but innovative
makeovers of school settings, in unconventional venues like cemeteries and dumpsites.
Remarkably, Penaflorida was featured as one of the heroes of CNN. Ultimately, the greatest
performance of his life had come when he was adjudged of a prestigious citation given by CNN,
to deserving individuals around the world.

Early Beginnings

Efren Penaflorida was the middle sibling in the family. His father, the elder Penaflorida is a tricycle
driver; while his mother is a plain housewife. To augment their daily needs, they had started a
small noodle business. Due to poverty, Efren grew up in a slum area, just across the open
dumpsite in the city of Cavite, Philippines. Furthermore, his childhood was literally spent in
garbage and polluted waters in the vicinity. However, the most unforgettable part of his childhood
days was when he oftentimes became the center of bullying in their place. But, despite of this
psychological dilemma, Penaflorida had risen above all these challenges. In fact, he was
sponsored by World Vision’s as a scholar and their adopted child. World Vision’s International is
an evangelical, development and relief organization, which has goals and missions to follow the
footsteps of our Savior, Jesus Christ in serving the poor and the oppressed; thereby achieving
amagnificent and holy human transformation, bearing witness to the Good News and seeking
justice by virtue of God’s heavenly kingdom.

Education

Efren Penaflorida had successfully completed his elementary and secondary education by means
of scholarships and financial help from different people and organizations. Best of all, his love for
intellectual wisdom was inspiringly exemplified through his various awards and recognitions for
academic excellence. Some of his scholastic achievements were garnering the highest honors
during his college days at San Sebastian College, Recolectos de Cavite with a degree in Computer
Technology. Afterwards, he had pursued a second course this time; at the Cavite State University,
Cavite City. Proudly, he had finished cum laude in 2006, with a degree in Secondary Education.

Efren Penaflorida and the Dynamic Teen Company.

This teen organization all started in the year 1997. Penaflorida was the head of the group at his
tender age of 16 years old. In his high school days, he had dreamed of shifting the attention of
street children and those bum teenagers, to a more productive endeavor. Therefore, leading the
way for these less-privileged youths towards genuine personality development and community
activism, the Dynamic Teen Company was born. The Dynamic Teen Company originated from a
friendship club with only 20 members. Insofar as the objectives of this motivating teen alliance is
concerned, it includes the provision of youth awareness projects, self and talent development
activities; thus, promoting the importance of community service. Hence, to be able to ensure its
success it had merged with Club 8586, which is another Filipino youth- oriented organization.
CNN Hero Nomination of Penaflorida

“How did Penaflorida get nominated for CNN’s Hero of the Year?” Efren Penaflorida was
nominated for the said prestigious citation by his comrade, Club 8586 which incidentally funded
his educational needs for both his elementary and high school studies. The said nomination was
really not an easy thing to deal with. All in all, there were 9,000 nominees who came from 100
different countries around the world. But, it was destined to be his. After too many critical
deliberations by the distinguished board of judges the CNN Blue Ribbon Panel had finally selected
Penaflorida as one of the 28 heroes of CNN for 2009. Of all these finalists, they were trimmed
down to 10. Finally, on November 22, 2009 he was unanimously chosen to be the first -ever
Filipino to become one of the CNN Heroes of Year.

“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. 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 ones in need. So
to each and every person inside in this theater and for those who are watching at home, the hero
in you is waiting to be unleashed. Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy
to serve. As I always tell to my co-volunteers... you are the change that you dream, as I am the
change that I dream, and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be.”

Penaforida’s Legacy to Education

Efren Penaflorida made Philippine education accessible to all. This legacy of the former slum
dweller had come up with the most creative way of learning, through his project known as
“pushcart classrooms”. This project was propelled by him along with the Dynamic Team Company.
According to Penaflorida, the primary objective of his project is to make education a right and a
privilege to everyone, especially for those street children. Through this humble mission, he and
his friends were able to motivate kids about the importance of learning. To make it survive the
odds, they are earnestly searching for willing and generous scholarship benefactors, for the
benefit of a needy kid; who wishes to go back to the four corners of the classroom.

His Philosophy about Life

Most importantly, he firmly believes that this is an excellent and effective mechanism to help
street children the best way that he can, by sending them back again to the educational
mainstream. After it had been launched for the very first time, there is now a child who dreamed
big, after he had experienced and explored the beauty and relevance of these “pushcart
classrooms” From an exclusive interview, the kid is all deadset to get a college scholarship; and
eventually become one of the famous chefs in the near future.

There is so much in education that every Filipino must have the right to have it, without any
condition regardless of his or her socioeconomic status in the society. From this undeniable reality,
Efren Penaflorida has proudly showed to the world, that education knows no bounds in the eye
of a struggling Philippine Society.