Voting for Bayaning Pilipino People’s Choice ends on Oct. 31

They do not carry the name of Rizal, Bonifacio, or Mabini but they are the living proof that any Filipino can be a hero.

They are the finalists in the 2010 Gawad Geny Lopez Bayaning Pilipino Awards—young Filipinos, groups, and individuals that have shown compassion, brilliance, strength, courage, and unconditional love for their countrymen.

For the first time in history, Bayaning Pilipino Awards gives every Filipino the chance to elect their hero of choice in the individual category through the Cobra Bayaning Pilipino People’s Choice Award. The finalist with the most votes received through text, online, and via wireless audience response system or WARS takes home the trophy.

Last October 10, we got a glimpse at the heroic deeds of the individual finalists through five short films especially produced by ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs for Bayaning Pilipino:

Despite his physical disability, Rex Bernardo strived to get education and is now an ardent mentor for developing barangays and a leader and protector of fellow persons with disability. Dr. Welthy Villanueva, a stage 4 cancer patient, has been relentless in providing education and care to a tribe in the mountains. Dr. Jose Antonio Socrates, meanwhile, went abroad to gain both knowledge and fortune then returned to establish a foundation for those with bone disease in the Philippines.

Joining them are Beatriz Evangelista, who serves as a values counselor and a shoulder to cry on for inmates of a city jail, and Norberto Puasan or Datu Mampinuhan, who founded a school that teaches indigenous knowledge and tradition of the Lumad.

One of them will be honored as the modern hero who will serve as inipiration to Filipinos, as well as other races.

To vote in the Cobra Bayaning Pilipino People’s Choice Award through text, just key in BOTOBPname of finalist and send to 2331 for Globe, TM, and Sun subscribers and 231 for Smart and Talk N’ Text subscribers. You may also vote at the Bayaning Pilipino website at http://bayaningpilipino.abs-cbnnews.com. Deadline of voting is at 11:59pm this Sunday (Oct 31).

Find out who will be named as the first-ever Cobra Bayaning Pilipino People’s Choice and the awardees in the Youth, Individual and Group categories at the 2010 Bayaning Pilipino Awards Night this coming November 4 on ABS-CBN.