Our History
Bahay Tuluyan was founded in 1987 by a group of citizens who were concerned about the rising number of children living and working on the street in Malate, Manila. Through the Malate Catholic Church a Drop In Center for children was started in the basement of the Parish Building.
Less than 12 months later Bahay Tuluyan was established as an independent NGO.
The Early Years
Early on in its history Bahay Tuluyan started using a ‘child-to-child’ approach to reach children on the street.
The first batch of Junior Eductors of Bahay Tuluyan started training in 1989 and by 1991 had started teaching other children on the street.
Before very long, Bahay Tuluyan’s center turned into a shelter as children expressed the need for a safe place to stay.
Bahay Tuluyan’s Theater Arts Group was first established in 1990. Over the many years since, theater arts have continued to be a medium of choice for children at BT to share their stories and raise their voices.
Founded just before the UNCRC was adopted by the UN in 1989, Bahay Tuluyan was a pioneer in the Philippines advocating for children’s rights.
The annual children’s general assembly is one of the most important days in the calendar for BT children and youth to exercise their right to participate. The first general assembly was held in 1991.
Through the ‘90s
In 1998 Bahay Tuluyan opened its first office in Quezon City. This office was set up and run by Junior Staff of Bahay Tuluyan. Operations in QC continued until 2004.
The ‘Mobile Unit’ has been a mainstay of BT’s street operations since 1993. The first mobile unit was a tricycle, dubbed the ‘Padyak Mobile’. There have been various versions since then.
Fulfilling a wish of the children’s general assembly, to have a center away from the city, Bahay Tuluyan purchased land for a new center in San Antonio, Quezon in 1996.
A highlight of 1999 was the visit by HRH Princess Anne to Bahay Tuluyan’s center in Malate, Manila.
After more than 10 years staying at the Malate Parish Center, Bahay Tuluyan moved to Sta Mesa, Manila in 1999, into a house owned by Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.
Street Education has taken various forms over the years, as needs have emerged and changed. The involvement of youth in faciltiation has, however, remained constant.
Turn of the century
Bahay Tuluyan’s operations spread to Laguna in 2003 when it entered into an agreement to manage a center established by Kibo Children’s House.
In 2003 Bahay Tuluyan started receiving volunteers through Australian Volunteers International and some other organizations. This led to the establishment of Bahay Tuluyan Philippines Australian (BTPA) in 2004 and the start of KidsView.
Through the generous support of the Church of Sweden, BT was able to develop its center in San Antonio, Quezon during 2005. The center, including 5 children’s houses, a training center and dining hall, was opened on 30 April 2005.
BT’s Participatory Research Team completed their first research study in 2006. The study, ‘Youth Pimps of Malate’ looked at the phenomenon of children pimping other children in Manila.
Our first venture into social enterprise was in 2007 when Child at Venture Cafe was opened in Laguna. This computer shop and cafe was designed to give youth a training ground while generating income for the organization to sustain itself.
PILAK, Pinag Isang Lakas ng Kabataan (United Strength of Youth) was a youth advocacy group formed at BT in 2006. One of the early projects of PILAK was to co-research BT’s ‘Sagip or Huli?’ study in 2008.
Our third decade
BT’s ‘Social Enterprise Youth Associate’ program started in 2011 when the first group of youth trainees started on the job training the newly opened Makabata Guesthouse & Cafe.
In February 2016 Bahay Tuluyan made headlines locally and globally after Madonna popped in for a surprise visit.
11-11-11 was a milestone day for BT as its ‘A Home of Our Own’ was opened in Manila. The 5 storey building was opened through the incredible support of the community locally and internationally. This marked the first time BT had a permanent home in Manila, after 24 years of operations.
Following the release of ‘Sagip or Huli?’, BT has continued advocacy with and for children in street situations through Street Children’s Festivals (the first in 2008), Street Children’s Congresses (started in 2018) and International Day for Street Children (annually since 2011).
Challenged to do more to become sustainable, financially and environmentally, BT started its Bahay Tuluyan Nature Farms in 2014. Initially starting with rice, produce soon included pigs, chickens, fruit and vegetables.
From 2003 BT has progressively been able to complete its project ‘Realizing the Dream’, to develop the site in Laguna into a child friendly space. Over the years, 5 houses have been built as well as various other buildings and farm structures.
30 and beyond
BT’s 30th birthday on 10-10-17 was celebrated in style, with a reunion of friends, alumni and supporters. Our book, ‘Three Decades of Hope & Resilience’ was launched to mark the occasion.
BT was able to extend its farms to Batangas in 2018 with the very generous donation of a piece of land and house by the Lapitan family. This property was given the name ‘Tala Camp and Eco-Retreat’.
14 years after its first UNCRC training workshops back in 2005, BT founded its third social enterprise, 'Children’s Rights Institute’ in 2019. This enterprise provides training about children’s rights and issues to key duty-bearers.
Like the rest of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic hit BT hard. Our programs and services were hindered by strict lockdowns from March 2020 until May 2022 but we managed to continue to serve and adapt throughout. Regular food relief provided support to the hardest hit.
In 2021, while locked down due to COVID BT modified its SEYA training program to allow youth to continue training in hospitality skills through Makabata Guesthouse and Cafe. Training was delivered in small groups, often online, unless restrictions allowed otherwise. Our first two batches of ‘young moms’ graduated in 2021.