Filipino Pushcart Educator One Of CNN Heroes Of The Year

November 23, 2009 2:36 p.m. EST

Los Angeles, CA (AHN) - Filipino pushcart educator Efren Penaflorida has been recognized as one of the 2009 Top 10 CNN Heroes.

The naming of the 10 was made over the weekend by CNN's Anderson Cooper at the news network's third yearly "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" taped with a live audience of 3,000 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. The event will be shown on Thanksgiving at 9 p.m. over CNN.

Penaflorida runs Dynamic Teen Company, which counts 10,000 members and brings reading, writing and hygiene to 1,500 street children in Cavite. He holds Saturday classes for underprivileged youth aged 2 to 14 in places like cemeteries and trash dumps.

He used to be a resident near the city dump, was bullied by gang members, but choose education as a way out of poverty. Now at 28 and a college graduate, Penaflorida and his friends want to help these poor children travel the same road he took. Among those whom he had helped change their lives are former gang members, drug addicts and school dropouts.

For his victory, Penaflorida will receive $100,000 which would permit him to continue his efforts to bring education to the poor youth in his province. He and the nine other CNN heroes were picked after seven week of online voting, which garnered 2.75 million votes.

The nine of 2009 Top 10 CNN Heroes are: Brad Blauser, Roy Foster, Doc Hendley, Andrea Ivory, Betty Makoni, Jorge Munoz, Budi Soehardi, Derrick Tabb and Jordan Thomas.