Bagumbayan-Volunteers for a New Philippines
Bagumbayan-Volunteers for a New Philippines (Bagumbayan-VNP) |
|
---|---|
President | Leon B. Herrera |
Chairman | Richard Gordon |
Secretary-General | Rey Faizal P. Millan |
Founded | April 27, 2009 |
Headquarters | Unit 3C Classica Condominium I HV Dela Costa St., Makati City, M.M. |
Ideology |
Conservatism Social Conservatism Voluntarism Yeltsinism |
National affiliation |
UNA (for the 2013 election) PGP (for the 2016 election) |
International affiliation | None |
Colors | Red |
Seats in the Senate |
1 / 24
|
Seats in the House of Representatives |
0 / 287
|
Provincial governorships |
0 / 79
|
Provincial vice governorships |
0 / 79
|
Provincial board members |
3 / 756
|
Website | |
Official Website | |
The Bagumbayan–Volunteers for a New Philippines (Bagumbayan–VNP) is a political party in the Philippines. It is the political party of Philippine Senator Richard Gordon. Their slogan is "We are the Instruments of a Movement Dedicated to Transform the Philippines into a Bagumbayan, A New Philippines."
The looming withdrawal of the Americans from the U.S naval base in Subic Bay meant the loss of over 40,000 jobs for Filipinos who were employed in the said base. Also, $8 million worth of infrastructure left behind by the Americans in the base and was in danger of being looted from outsiders, as evidenced by the looting that occurred in 1991 at the Clark Air Base due to the aftermath of the Pinatubo eruption.
To address the problems beforehand, Gordon led the citizens of Olongapo to mobilize and lobby for the inclusion of a free port concept into the national legislation for the conversion of the U.S. bases. The effort was successful, with the inclusion of the establishment of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (also known as the Subic Special Economic Zone) in Section 12 of Republic Act No. 7227, otherwise known as the Bases Conversion and Development Act, which was approved on March 13, 1992. Section 13 of the same legislation also provided for the establishment of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), which was tasked to administer the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
On April 3, 1992, Gordon was appointed as the chairman of the SBMA by President Corazon Aquino. By November 24, 1992, the U.S. Navy completed its withdrawal from the facility and its conversion for civilian and commercial use began. Volunteerism and the high civic spirit of the host community marked the pioneering efforts at conversion - thus the "Bagumbayan Movement" started as a volunteer group whose members served in the SBMA.