By RACHEL C. BARAWID
May 27, 2010, 10:41am (www.mb.com.ph)
A few years back, Cris “Kesz” Valdez was like any other streetchild – he begged and cursed on the side. He would rather sleep on the pavements than go home and get a beating from his father or brother.
Instead of being in school, then three-year-old Kesz was digging [...]

By RACHEL C. BARAWID
June 16, 2010, 12:31pm (www.mb.com.ph)
Unlike other teenagers his age, 16-year-old Emanuel “Em” Bagual already knows how his future will pan out. Em can see himself in the future, most probably as a human rights lawyer, a staunch advocate of the welfare of the marginalized and battered children.
Em is just a college freshman [...]

By MA. EMICON M. MEDENILLA
June 5, 2010, 11:12am (www.mb.com.ph)
Just when he thought that he was nothing and of no value to this world, Harnin “Kuya Bonn” Manalaysay, more known as the mentor of CNN Hero Efren Peñaflorida, Jr., woke up one morning to realize that he had just been given a second chance at life.
Kuya [...]

(The Philippine Star) Updated November 28, 2009 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo directed yesterday presidential adviser on education Mona Valisno to replicate the kariton classroom system in areas not reached by the Department of Education.
Following the worldwide recognition that CNN Hero of the Year Efren Peñaflorida’s kariton (pushcart) classroom has generated, the government is [...]

Anderson Cooper humbled by 2009 CNN Hero of the Year Efren Penaflorida
By Richard Huff
DAILY NEWS TV EDITOR
Anderson Cooper was skeptical about the “CNN Hero of the Year” concept when it launched three years ago – but now, not so much.
In fact, just the opposite. He says the show – and the process – is inspiring.
“When I [...]

By Jujemay G. Awit

AN Efren Peñaflorida is what the Philippines needs, said Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Reynato Puno, who spoke before members of the Philippine Association of Court Employees (PACE) at the Cebu International Convention Center yesterday.
Puno said a “transformational leader” like Peñaflorida is what the country needs and should be the kind [...]

The heroes are here
By Liz Abernethy Updated June 14, 2009 12:00 AM STARWEEK MAGAZINE

MANILA, Philippines – In the early morning of a stunningly bright April day, my sister, Catherine Jones, asked if I’d like to drive to a school in Cavite with her in order to deliver five boxes of children’s books from [...]

MANILA BULLETIN EXCLUSIVE
By MADELYNNE DOMINGUEZ
June 1, 2009, 4:38pm

MARIKINA CITY — The efforts of 28-year-old Efren Penaflorida Jr., dubbed the CNN hero for his mission to boost “Kariton Klasrum” as a means of teaching out-of-school youth, did not go to waste as some students of Master in Communication at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Open [...]

by Beng Garcia

CNN Heroes 2009 nominee Efren Peñaflorida or “Kuya F” to his students and friends touched the hearts of his Baguio audience at Small World Christian School Foundation on May 12.

The first Filipino to be named in the worldwide search for CNN Heroes, Peñaflorida has been lauded for his efforts to reach out to [...]

Dreams do come true

The Dynamic Teen Company

By Maila P. Madrigalejo, Special to the Manila Times
Those letters would be nothing but meaningless lines and obscure scribbles in the eyes of someone who [...]