Pala-isip

Seasoned journalist Anthony Taberna joined the volunteers of the Kariton Klasrum Klinik& Kantin to rove around Cavite City and reported his experience, views and convictions regarding the project and its social implications. Taberna interviewed CNN HERO Efren Penaflorida Jr. and some of the remarkable teens who operate this iconic symbol of poverty which DTC used as a vehicle of hope and transformation and gave prestige and nobility to the lowly "KARITON."

In the face of the struggle for Philippine independence, Dr. Jose P. Rizal believed that the future of the country lies in its youth. But if he were alive today, witnessing the struggles of our children, would he still have the same conviction? In a town where a childrens beauty pageant was recently held, several girls were willing to sacrifice health and safety to win the crown. In the mountains of Montalban, Rizal, minors carry the weight of poverty upon their backs. There are more than two million cases of child labor in the Philippines today. The country, still struggling with poverty, is still a long way off to ending child labor. However, all is not lost. The perseverance of non government agencies like Dynamic Teen Company to uplift the condition of Filipino children has produced positive results. Cris, for example, used to be a scavenger. The cart he once used to carry waste materials is now loaded with blackboards, chalks, and books. At a young age, he teaches his fellow s...

Do you know why today is a holiday?

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer . ====================== BACOLOD CITY, Philippines—The six-year-old child from Sipalay City who saved her four-month-old brother from a fire has been transferred to the burn unit of the Teresita Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City because her wounds have developed infections. Virginia Rojo was treated at the Sipalay Infirmary after the upper half of her face and hands suffered second degree burns when she saved her baby brother, Joren, from a fire that destroyed their house in Barangay San Jose, Sipalay City on Feb. 28. Dr. Francis Hinayan of the provincial hospital said the burnt areas of the child’s body were being cleaned to prevent infection. These burns were expected to leave scars on Rojo. Rojo earlier said "Papa Jesus" woke her up and told her to save her brother from the fire, as her mother and older sister were not in the house at the time. Rojo has since been hailed as a heroine, especially by her neighbors, and numerous do...

Amazing little girl. Here's the full call. Audio only.

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer . ====================== MANILA, Philippines—CNN hero of the year Efren Peñaflorida was nearly victimized by a suspected robber as the former was stepping out of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Friday afternoon. Rezcel Fajardo, a colleague of Peñaflorida at the Dynamic Teen Co., said Peñaflorida was about to board a car around 1:30 p.m. when a man got near him and tried to snatch a pouch from his bag. But the thief accidentally dropped the pouch, drawing the attention of Peñaflorida and his colleagues. Fajardo said the pouch only contained Penaflorida’s personal hygiene items. She said they brought the suspect and his companion to the airport police for investigation. ======================= Unfortunately, that's how we treat our heroes. Other than Manny Pacquiao. When Efren arrived, he was met by one person while Many was meet by a horde of people. Efren was robbed while Manny is surrounded by bodyguards. Efren was given a small rally ...

Efren Peñaflorida of the Philippines, who started a "pushcart classroom" in the Philippines to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership, has been named the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year. For the past 12 years, Peñaflorida and his team of teen volunteers have taught basic reading and writing to children living on the streets. Their main tool: A pushcart classroom. Stocked with books, pens, tables and chairs, his Dynamic Teen Company recreates a school setting in unconventional locations such as the cemetery and municipal trash dump. Peñaflorida knows firsthand the adversity faced by these children. Born into a poor family, he lived in a shanty near the city dump site. But he says he refused to allow his circumstances to define his future. "Instead of being discouraged, I promised myself that I would pursue education," he recalls. "I will strive hard; I will do my best." In high school, Peñaflorida faced a new set of challenges. Gang...