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week after boxer Manny Pacquiao's stunning victory over Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas, another Philippine hero Efren Peñaflorida received a top award becoming CNN's Hero of the Year for 2009. And as Pacquiao thanked the Filipino people for his string of boxing victories, Efren will have you to thank for his stunning victory.

While the ten other finalists were all outstanding individuals and equally deserving of the honor, online voting determined who would receive the top honor and the $100,000 grant that went along with it.

And it seems that Filipinos the world over stepped up to the plate. Of the 2.75 million votes cast, Efren received the most. This is a testament to the strength and effectiveness of the Filipino online community, be they in North America, Australia, Europe, the Middle East or the Philippines. When we at PHILNEWS.COM published our article on Efren in late October, we did so to spread the word about this dynamic young man and the great work he was doing. We also wanted our readers to vote for him but we never thought they would do so in such numbers as to take him over the top.

This shows that Filipinos can indeed come together and unite for a purpose they believe in. In fact Efren Peñaflorida might not only be known for his great work civic work and his CNN Hero of the Year Award, but also for showing Filipinos around the world that they have a voice and can make things happen in this new, globally interconnected world. Corrupt Philippine politicians and government officials beware, the global Filipino is just starting to flex his 'virtual' muscles.

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