Efren Peñaflorida: A Poor Man’s Guide
March 23, 2025 1:32 PM PHT
Aurelio Nicolas Luya
Dirty. Uneducated. Trash. Nothing. Those were the only words a young Tony knew. They echoed in his mind like the static of a broken TV—only he had never seen one. Day after day, hunger gnawed at his bones as he walked to school. Poverty kept him from quality education, but a lack thereof hindered his escape—that, he knew at the very least.
It was not until he turned a rough corner that he met the man who would change his life forever. A man whose name should have reached great heights yet remained unsung, whose innovative works transformed education yet remained unknown. This was the start of Tony’s journey with Efren Peñaflorida.
But Tony is not alone in this journey. He is only one of the thousands of children Peñaflorida has helped—children who, like Tony, once had nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Peñaflorida was not just another bystander—he was a man of action. In stark contrast to others who had ignored street children, he sought to help them. With nothing but a pushcart of books and other school materials, he taught these children basic hygiene and education when no one else would. Where others saw hopelessness, he built a classroom. Where others turned away, he turned knowledge into hope.
From Hardship to Advocacy
Even in today’s world, poverty remains a harsh reality, with around 17.54 million people living below the poverty line. In a world that seemed to offer these poor children nothing, Peñaflorida became their guide, proving that learning has no bounds—not of place nor of privilege. But what led Peñaflorida to dedicate his life to this cause?
It was not always this way. One might think he had lived a prosperous life, but that is only the image he built from his success. As a child, Peñaflorida suffered the same fate as all the other street kids. Despite having lived near a cemetery and dumpsite, he once thought life was normal.
“Instead of going to school, the kids want to work and look for money,” Peñaflorida said in an interview. He traveled far and wide, from Baclaran to Cavite, just to sell fish crackers in an effort to support his family. This cycle of endurance persisted until one fateful day. As he was traveling back from school, he came face-to-face with gang members. But these weren’t ordinary gang members. They were… children?
“In high school, gangs were very rampant, and I felt the social discrimination,” Peñaflorida said in an interview. Out-of-school youth surrounded him, hurling stone pellets his way. Ordinarily, one would be annoyed—angry, even. But Peñaflorida handled it differently: he reflected, not by reflecting the pellets back, but by taking a moment to reflect deeply—though, admittedly, only after running away in fear. In that moment, he embraced one of the many core values that would define the man he would become.
Instead of resorting to violence, Peñaflorida sought understanding—a shining example of the virtue of temperance. With the guidance of his mentor, a pastor from Club 8586, he realized that joining a gang only led to two tragic ends: a cemetery or prison.
“I wanted to pay it forward,” Peñaflorida said in an interview. With the help of his three friends, he formed the Dynamic Teen Company (DTC) to offer an alternative path for struggling youth. “The main goal of DTC is to introduce concepts like youth importance, self-understanding, and moral values. We want children to enjoy learning,” he said in an interview.
Pushcart of Hope
In partnership with Club 8586, he and the DTC eventually pioneered the idea of the “pushcart classroom,” wherein pushcarts, stocked with school materials, transformed streets into makeshift classrooms for children in the slums. By offering a safe learning space for marginalized children, Peñaflorida not only protected their physical and emotional well-being (SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being) but also provided them with the opportunity to break free from poverty (SDG 1: No Poverty). This was only the start of his journey to a life of good deeds.
Peñaflorida’s work wasn’t just about creating change—it was about staying true to it. The virtue of Integrity became his guiding principle, but he was not the only one working in his “Kariton Klasrum.” Local volunteers stood by him, driven by the same mission. “I always tell my volunteers that you are the change you dream and, collectively, we are the change that this world needs to be,” Peñaflorida said in an interview.
Day after day, he and his partners worked to change the future of poor children, redirecting them from joining gangs and suffering from a crime they did not commit. Peñaflorida, the DTC, and his volunteers vowed to lead children away from crime and toward education, offering them a chance at a better future. By promoting peace and learning in their lives, he not only made an impact on children’s education (SDG 4: Quality Education) but also inspired the hearts of many into his mission (SDG 17: Partnerships For The Goals). But how did it impact gang members?
“My gangmates were one of the most influential things in my life. I would probably be in jail or a drug addict if I did not meet Efren,” Rhandolf said in an interview. This was Peñaflorida’s display of the virtue of Justice. His Kariton Klasrum was built for those who had been denied opportunities. Through selfless acts, he ensured that education was not a privilege but a right. By using his classroom to promote righteousness in a world devoid of such acts, Peñaflorida not only created a safe haven for learning (SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) but also paved the way for a future once stolen from these children (SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities).
Legacy of Change
Over time, Peñaflorida’s mission gained public recognition. Since 2001, SM has been a partner, providing venues where the group can showcase its talents and create awareness for its advocacies. Even if his pushcarts were designed to bring the classrooms to children, they were not meant to replace traditional classrooms. “The goal of the program is to get the children back to school,” He said in an interview. “Our program is now being replicated by various institutions, especially the Department of Education in the Philippines,” he added. This was amazing news not just for the group but for the community at large.
In 2009, he was crowned the CNN Hero of the Year—a true testament to his legacy. Numerous awards followed, and he was given $100,000 to continue his advocacy. With the prize money, Peñaflorida set his sights on a greater vision: expanding Kariton Klasrum beyond Cavite, with hopes of reaching the entire nation. “On our part, we don’t want to stay as kariton. We dream of having our own center,” he said in an interview.
Cherishing and wanting the best for the little ones is a deeply held value. But how about you? Will you stand by Peñaflorida’s mission and become part of the change this world needs? Will you be the poor man’s guide?
Bai, N. (2023, August 5). Educational challenges in the Philippines. PIDS. https://pids.gov.ph/details/news/in-the-news/educational-challenges-in-the-philippines
Fernandez, C., & Builder, D. (2023, September 26). The state of education poverty in the Philippines. My Dream in a Shoebox. https://shoeboxcampaign.teamasia.com/the-state-of-education-poverty-in-the-philippines/
Flores, M., & Mair, J. (2024, August 15). Philippines poverty rate at 15.5% in 2023, Statistics Agency says | Reuters. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippines-poverty-rate-155-2023-statistics-agency-says-2024-08-15/
MAPA, C. D. S. (2024, August 15). Poverty Statistics. Philippine Statistics Authority. https://psa.gov.ph/statistics/poverty
Matabuena, J. (2023, May 23). Efren Peñaflorida: From problem child to homemade hero. RAPPLER. https://www.rappler.com/brandrap/home-and-parenting/153283-efren-penaflorida-homemade-hero/
Nolasco, L. (2015, October). Efren Penaflorida, jr. and his amazing journey. Pilipino Express News Magazine. https://www.pilipino-express.com/community/3142-efren-penaflorida-jr-and-his-amazing-journey.html
PinasNgPinoy. (2009, November 7). PH Efren Penaflorida – CNN Hero ~ Paying It Forward [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/41z1xEOaeaA
PinasNgPinoy. (2009, November 27). Efren Penaflorida – CNN Hero ~ His Story [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/cMgQbltcUbA