Two weeks ago after winning the celebrated Cable News Network Hero (CNN) Hero of the Year award for establishing the Dynamic Teen Company (DTC), Efren Peñaflorida Jr. continued receiving recognition and support from various organizations and prominent personalities.

The most recent addition to the 28-year-old Caviteño’s growing list of commendations is the three awards given to him by the Coca-Cola Foundation, the public service arm of the Coca-Cola Company and the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) in an awarding ceremony held Saturday in a hotel in Pasig City.

TAYO is a non-profit award-giving body which recognizes the contribution of the Filipino youth to their community.

Sen. Francisco “Kiko” Pangilinan, the founder of TAYO, attended the event and awarded Peñaflorida the copy of Senate Resolution 217 recognizing his invaluable contribution to the children’s education in his community and the prestige he gave the country for winning the CNN award.

“It’s a badge of honor for us. It inspires us to continue to work,” Pangilinan said in his congratulatory speech.

Meanwhile, TAYO president Paolo Benigno Aquino, a grandchild of the late Corazon Aquino, conferred the TAYO kasama award to Peñaflorida for their KKK: Kariton, Klasrum, and Klinik program, where volunteers with pushcarts go to the trash dumpsites in Cavite to teach underprivileged children.

DTC joined the TAYO award twice. The first in 2006 where it failed to be included in the finalists and in 2007 where it became a part of the 10 successful recognized organizations.
In 2009 Peñaflorida also became a judge in the competition.
The Coca-Cola Foundation, represented by its president, Cecil Alcantara, gave Peñaflorida his last award in the event, which was a plaque with a reproduction of a painting, “Sa Isang Musmos,” which reflects the simple desires of a child.

“Your life may change, but you would not change,” Alcantara said in her emotional speech recounting the humility Peñaflorida showed despite winning the CNN Hero award.

Aside from interviews from various newspapers, radio and television stations, including an appearance in CNN’s Larry King Live, prominent personalities also recognized Peñaflorida’s contribution including Albay Governor Joey Salceda, who adopted Peñaflorida as a son of the city, Cavite Governor Ayong Maliksi, who promised to donate P1 million to DTC, and no less than President Arroyo, who bestowed to him the prestigious Order of Lakandula, the highest award given to a civilian.

Peñaflorida arrived at the awarding ceremony together with his mentor Bon Manalaysay, founder of Club 8586, the organization, where DTC is a part of, dedicated in restoring Cavite’s identity as the home of heroes, some of the children who became a part of DTC’s project, and Emmanuel Bagual, the incumbent president of the DTC, who was also nominated as one of the five finalist of the Nobel Peace Prize for Children in Europe for his project “My rights,” which empowers children in pediatric wards by informing them of their rights.