Proud to be Pinoy in 2009!

The list is not partial (and parts two, three, etc. will definitely follow).  The entries are also not following a specific order, as these are identified as they come to my mind.

First in my list is the push cart educator who was hailed as CNN Hero of the Year.  At 16, Efren Penaflorida founded the Dynamic Teen Company which aims to teach basic reading and writing to impoverished children using push cart where all teaching materials are placed.  He concretely gives Filipino youth an alternative to gang membership through education.

Second to my list is the Filipino chess prodigy.  In 2009 Chess World Cup, Wesley So (ELO 2641) defeated Gadir Guseinov, Vassily Ivanchuk (ELO 2739), and Gata Kamsky (ELO 2695).  He reached the fourth round of the said World Cup where he was knocked out by Vladimir Malakhov.

Third is the international singing sensation Charice Pempengco.  She was recently chosen to win the Best Oprah Show Musical Performance Award for her “Note to God” performance.  Together with her, Arnel Pineda of Journey and Allan Pineda Lindo (Apl. D. Ap.) of Black Eyed Peas are making Filipinos proud.

In 2009, the Ring Magazine best pound-for-pound fighter demolished Rick Hatton and conquered Miguel Cotto.  With these victories, Manny Pacquiao is now the only boxer who has won seven titles in seven different divisions.  Aside from his success inside the ring, he’s also one of ESPNSTAR.com’s Top 10 stars of the year, the No. 57 of Forbes Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Celebrities, and No. 22 in Time Magazine’s Most Influential People.

Fifth in my list is a Singapore-based Filipino artist.  He’s Benedicto Cabrera, aka BenCab, a National Artist for the Visual Arts.  He was featured in the Art Section of Time Magazine in 2009.  His work that featured etchings, woodcuts and paper pulp works, was described by the magazine as “beguiling, though they are images of despair, isolation and poverty.”

The sixth in my list is a Filipino in NBA.  He’s a Dutch-Irish-Filipino – Erik Spoelstra – who was named as the head coach of Miami Heat replacing the legendary Pat Riley.  His mother is reportedly from San Pablo, Laguna.  At 38, Erik is so far the youngest NBA coach.

Seventh is an honest OFW in Jeddah.  Michael Colegado, 34, who works as maintenance technician, returned the amount of $320,000 he found outside a cash machine to its rightful owner.  On October 6, 2009, he was about to carryout his usual maintenance job when he found a small box containing the cash near an ATM machine.

Eighth in my list is Muelmar Magallanes, an 18-year old construction worker, who braved the rampaging floods of Tropical Storm, Ondoy, in September to save at least thirty lives of relatives and neighbors.  As he was saving their lives, he lose his own life.  He’s named as one of Time Magazine’s Top 10 Heroes of the year.

Ninth in my list is Von Hernandez.  He was named by Time Magazine as one of 2009’s Heroes of Environment, together with Al Gore, Prince Charles – among others.  Hernandez, 40, is Greenpeace campaign director.  In 2003, he was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize, the Nobel Prize equivalent for grassroots environmentalists.

My tenth entry is the late Cory Aquino.  She’s Philippines’ former president, mother of democracy, widow of Ninoy Aquino, Tita Cory to many Filipinos, (and mother of Kris Aquino).  Even in her death, she unified the Filipinos and was able to change the political landscape – at least, in so far as the fielding of presidential candidates for 2010 elections is concerned – of the country.

This list is, as said at the outset, partial.  Anyone is welcome to suggest names/personalities, events and developments that are worth remembering and has made us proud as Filipinos.