For someone who grew up in the urban slums of Cavite, Efren Peñaflorida (
Enchong Dee) rose above poverty to make something of himself. He acquired scholarship grants and financial assistance from several non-profit organizations because of his academic accomplishments. At the age of 16, he was able to establish the Dynamic Teen Company which provides alternative education by recreating school settings in unconventional locations such as cemeteries and dump sites.
—mmk