Philippine pride: Besting CNN in 2009, BBC in 2010
12/30/2010
MANILA, Philippines – This country of 7,107 islands is not only a breeding ground for peaceful revolutions, world-class singers, seafarers, nurses, and beauty queens; it is also a lush source for award-winning social projects.
Social projects that aim to lift the plight of the country’s underprivileged have bested entries from other parts of the world in 2 international media outfits.
In 2009, Efren Peñaflorida was hailed by American cable news network CNN as the “Hero of the Year.”
In 2010, the Ram Pump Project by a non-governmental organization based in Bacolod in the Visayas region was named by the British cable news network BBC as the winner in the “World Challenge.”
Both competitions were determined by number of votes cast for the finalists.
CNN Heroes had 2.75 million online votes cast over 7 weeks for 9 finalists, while BBC had about 167,000 people across the globe casting their votes for 12 finalists over about 2 months.
The votes came after each international media group featured them on TV and online. BBC World News ran six 30-minute programs and ran features about the finalists in Newsweek magazine. CNN ran a star-studded awarding ceremony in Hollywood.
Both aim to inspire. CNN focuses on the individual who makes extraordinary contributions to help others.
Efren Peñaflorida started a "pushcart classroom" to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership. Peñaflorida’s team of volunteers brings around their mobile classroom stacked with teaching materials to different areas they service.
BBC, on the other hand, champions specific projects or small businesses that make a difference at the grassroots level through enterprising and innovative means.
Besting over 800 projects from all over the world was "No Way But Up," an indigenous hydraulic ram pump that uses a river's flow to literally push water uphill to supply water to villagers living in mountainous regions.
The project -- an entry of the Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation Inc. (AIDFI) based in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City -- does not require the use of electricity.
The foundation is led by Dutch ships engineer Auke Idzenga and has introduced the project to over 170 upland villages benefiting 50,000 people.
Peñaflorida received a total of US$125,000 to continue his work, while AIDFI received a US$20,000 financial grant.
Social projects that aim to lift the plight of the country’s underprivileged have bested entries from other parts of the world in 2 international media outfits.
In 2009, Efren Peñaflorida was hailed by American cable news network CNN as the “Hero of the Year.”
In 2010, the Ram Pump Project by a non-governmental organization based in Bacolod in the Visayas region was named by the British cable news network BBC as the winner in the “World Challenge.”
Both competitions were determined by number of votes cast for the finalists.
CNN Heroes had 2.75 million online votes cast over 7 weeks for 9 finalists, while BBC had about 167,000 people across the globe casting their votes for 12 finalists over about 2 months.
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| CNN Hero of the Year 2009 Efren Peñaflorida |
Both aim to inspire. CNN focuses on the individual who makes extraordinary contributions to help others.
Efren Peñaflorida started a "pushcart classroom" to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership. Peñaflorida’s team of volunteers brings around their mobile classroom stacked with teaching materials to different areas they service.
BBC, on the other hand, champions specific projects or small businesses that make a difference at the grassroots level through enterprising and innovative means.
 |
| 'No Way But Up', an indigenous hydraulic ram pump project in Bacolod, wins in BBC's 'World Challenge'. |
The project -- an entry of the Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation Inc. (AIDFI) based in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City -- does not require the use of electricity.
The foundation is led by Dutch ships engineer Auke Idzenga and has introduced the project to over 170 upland villages benefiting 50,000 people.
Peñaflorida received a total of US$125,000 to continue his work, while AIDFI received a US$20,000 financial grant.
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