Efren Geronimo Peñaflorida, OL (born March 5, 1981), is a Filipino teacher and development worker. He offers Filipino youth an alternative to street gangs through education, recreating school settings in unconventional locations such as cemeteries and trash dumps. In March 2009, Peñaflorida was featured as a CNN Hero as part of the news network's program to honor individuals who make extraordinary contributions to help others. On November 22, 2009, he was named CNN Hero of the Year.