Below information is provided by Bagong Tao Movement Website ( http://www.bagongtao.com )

WHAT IS THE “BAGONG TAO MOVEMENT”?

The Bagong Tao Movement (BTM) was founded in 2003 by college graduates of the University of the Philippines (Diliman, Q.C.) who believe that before we can truly make any lasting changes in the socio-political and economic situation which the country badly needs today, there must, first of all, be a transformation of the hearts, minds and attitudes of the individual Filipino. BTM and its coalition partners firmly believe that if only the Filipino people who pride themselves to be the only Christian country in Asia,  would only practice what they supposedly believe either as Christians or even Moslems, then, we would not have the kind of graft and corruption so prevalent in our government along with the accompanying and pervading sense of immorality and depravity, violence and hate fueled by lingering hostilities and decades of attrition and a society beleaguered by greed, envy, bickering and selfish rivalries,  lack of self-discipline, lack of social consciousness and concern and a general sense of despair and hopelessness.

WHAT DOES BTM REPRESENT AND WHY?
YOUTH:

BTM has decided to represent the interests and aspirations of the youth and the urban poor. Since the youth  (below 30 years of  age) compose almost 80% of the total population, BTM believes and agrees with the opinion of our foremost hero, Jose Rizal, who said… “The youth is the hope of our motherland.”
However, in the midst of the pervasive influence of drugs, violence and lack of moral restraints among our youth coupled with a general sense of despair and utter lack of opportunities for higher education or skills for livelihood purposes for many of them, the prospect of the youth in our country looks bleak indeed.

URBAN POOR

BTM chose to represent the urban poor as it is reported that more than 70% of our country live below the poverty level. They live in very poor living conditions, mostly with no basic amenities like sewage, running water, electricity. They have no real opportunities for advancement as there are little if at all, sources of financing or training for livelihood projects, no programs in place to alleviate and augment their constant need to provide basic needs like food and clothing to their respective families.

WHAT IS BTM’S PLATFORM OF GOVERNMENT OR PROPOSED PROJECTS?
YOUTH:

1.  BTM proposes the immediate implementation and adherence to the enacted Magna Carta of Students’ Rights which spells out the rights and duties of the studentry.
2.  Enactment of legislation with regards to a “Student Loan Program” so that talented and qualified youth who desire to pursue higher education but who are hampered by a lack of finances, could do so. However, special attention and incentives will also be provided to afford less expensive technical, educational training and skills to the youth in construction-
related and blue-collar skills like carpentry, plumbing, electrical, masonry and the like. In addition, the youth will also be encouraged to learn skills in vegetable farming and simple animal husbandry to take care of pigs, goats, ducks or even a new concept of urban “tilapia farming” being developed in the Philippines.
3.  Creation of a “Youth Court System” wherein youthful offenders of minor crimes like vandalism, malicious mischief or disturbing the peace, will be handed out sentences by his/her peers with more emphasis on community service for restitution.
4.  Creation of a “Youth Reconciliation Campaign” designed to bring together the different warring sectors of the studentry particularly the fraternities, to dialog, thresh out and come to terms with their respective differences and instill a spirit of mutual forgiveness and mutual respect and peaceful co-existence among themselves. Conflicts should be threshed out in a non-violent and non-deadly manner, if the same cannot be totally
avoided.
5.  Fostering of various campaigns with scholarship grants or cash or in kind prizes,  to youth organizations who will use their talents and creative resources to diminish, if not totally stop the drug menace among our youth, foster love for the environment through reforestation, cleanliness and graffiti removal projects as well as be active partners in maintaining peace and order in their respective communities by the creation of youth
community patrols.

URBAN POOR:

1.  Develop and implement a financial structure/system wherein the urban poor, after undergoing the pre-requisite skills and management training as well as the moral/spiritual formation and accountability, could have easy and ready access to minimal capitalization (maximum of P5,000 each)  to finance small livelihood projects to enable them to support their families. Cooperatives will be set up to assist and encourage them to help each other succeed.
2.  Creation and establishment of community legal, medical and dental centers wherein volunteers from the different legal and medical institutions would attend to the legal or physical needs of the impoverished sectors of our society. In this regard, the curriculums of the different educational institutions could be modified and incentives given to encourage these community projects by prospective legal, medical and dental practitioners.
3.  Establishment of a special task force or agency designed to tap into the goodwill and abundant resources of Filipinos overseas, particularly the USA and Canada, to encourage them to share their blessings with their less fortunate countrymen and establish among others soup kitchens, pre-school training, old clothes, stuffed toys, pens, etc.  for the poor and hungry children in different urban areas of the Philippines, livelihood-adoption programs where concerned Filipinos could provide a one-time needed capitalization (maybe $100) to deserving but poor families and other creative projects designed to achieve a certain sense of Filipino Nationhood.

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