Cecile Guidote Alvarez speaks for RP at UNESCO

Cecile Guidote (Mrs. Heherson) Alvarez, theater icon, Earthsavers Dreams Ensemble founder, presidential adviser on cultural affairs and NCCA executive director, attended UNESCO’s fourth cultural commission meeting in Paris last October at which she intervened for the Philippines on cultural issues thusly:

Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in Case of Illicit Appropriation

Mr. Chairman, we thank UNESCO for its exceptional leadership in undertaking the return or restitution of cultural treasures to its countries of origin.

We particularly appreciate the Greek Resolution in expanding the capacity of the intergovernmental committee charged with this difficult but necessary task.

We hold as an inspiration, so many years ago, Melina Mercouri’s strong stand to retrieve and return to Greece its cultural treasures.

This concern and conviction may be explained by our own suffering as a victim of pillage of valuable cultural artifacts and religious, historical symbols as trophies of victory of those who have occupied our land. Up to now, for years we have sought for the return of the Balangiga Bells which is a very historic sign-post of our struggle for freedom and a religious symbol of our Christian heritage.

Until these bells are returned, it is like partial amnesia has been inflicted on our people especially for our compatriots in Samar where the church bells were taken, now lodged at Fort Cheyenne.

And so any effort for dialogue for conciliation and mediation that can bring back cultural treasures, smuggled out, illegally trafficked, stolen or taken away during periods of armed conflict is a most welcome action agenda to crystallize and sustain the memory of the world. For us, it is a question of social justice and the right to the identity of nations.

Monterey Forum on Culture

Mr. Chairman, the strength of UNESCO flows from the creative initiatives and commitment to UNESCO objectives by its member states. The Philippines supports the Mexican Resolution for a Universal Forum on Culture.

For years, our country has undertaken a number of cross-cultural cooperative activities in music, dance, visual arts, poetry even the recharging of historical and spiritual ties through monuments and religious events. I was privileged to be in Tamaulipas where the 30th Congress of the ITI was held and our UNESCO Artists for Peace, the Earthsavers DREAMS Ensemble, designated also as Ambassadors of Goodwill of the Department of Tourism were invited to work with the Chimalli Children’s Choir and disabled children in CRIT as well as perform at Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in Mexico City.

So, we are witness not only to the strategic geographic location of Mexico but of its hospitality and capacity to interact dynamically with nations.

We wholeheartedly endorse this Global Forum particularly, since the Philippines will be hosting for the first time in the Southeast Asian region, the 31st Congress in Manila in 2006, harnessing artists of different disciplines in theater and its electronic offspring, broadcast and cinema, to infuse images, music, fashion, cultural goods and literature from ancestral roots to new routes of artistic expressions with MDG concerns.

The Mexican gathering in Monterey in 2007 will be an occasion to follow up on certain global concerns that will be raised in the Philippines, such as: the application of theater arts services and cultural industries for economic growth with the decentralization and democratization of culture and more especially the cooperative application of the much desired historic convention on cultural diversity to benefit the marginalized groups.

In the Philippines, the heritage and habitat of 110 indigenous communities are endangered. We, therefore, support mechanisms that synergize through dialogue and cooperative action, the important, common task of safeguarding the wealth of cultural diversity worldwide.

We look forward to an interesting valuable encounter – in Mexico.

Con Saludos!

For the Establishment of the UNESCO International X-Dumbrava Sibuiliu Technical Heritage Prize

Mr. Chairman, the proposal of Romania, from my understanding, does not have any budgetary implications but merely seeks the partnership of UNESCO to establish a special award for Technical Heritage. We fully agree that the cultural memory which is part of sustainable development should also include "pre-industrial technical civilization seen from a systematic, comprehensive and rigorously scientific points of view."

This will encourage efforts in this direction and should be assisted while building the capacity of Romania to highlight the importance and value of our cultural heritage. The intention of Romania to give special awards will not only raise awareness but encourage sensitive development of the ethno-cultural dimension of the technical heritage recognizing technical archetypes from the Neolithic age and the Iron Age up until the technical revolution which generated new medieval industries and the start of the modern technological revolution. The Philippine Delegation welcomes this proposal and endorses it for approval by the General Conference in Plenary.

It should be noted that this intervention appeal by the Philippines paved the way for the passage of the resolution. It was initially rejected. The Philippines speaking on behalf of the Romanian Resolution turned the tide for its acceptance.

As we reflect on some voices that have expressed reservations, which may be a misperception, that budget strengthening of the Heritage project may be tantamount to marginalization of support for the living and performing arts: we wish to point out that there is no need for division or dichotomy in this vision. Heritage is not only limited to monuments or sites but encompasses as well the creative expression of all nations in all forms of music, dance, theater performance, visual arts and electronic images.

Therefore may we suggest that the apprehension and search for extrabudgetary funds can be sourced from the Debt for Culture swap program articulated by Speaker de Venecia at the Interparliamentary Union meeting and proposed by our President at the U.N. General Assembly last September.

Modernized countries which have extensive credit capacity, instead of demanding debt payments with huge interests, could swap this to allow money to be used locally in preserving, restoring and conserving tangible and intangible heritage as well as a cultural care-giving program of mining the gold of talents of the poor through arts education, UNESCO has the moral authority to help open up this innovative, crucial partnership for sustainable heritage development and poverty alleviation arts programs.

Considering that a "Debt for Equity" program for education, culture, communications and science which the Philippines proposed, heartily joined by Argentina and Costa Rica, which leads the G77, has been passed in Commission II, may we suggest that the working technical group’s operation be fast-tracked. UNESCO’s giving birth to this concept can serve as a nourishing womb for ensuring the life of a nation.

The Philippines is hosting in May 2006 the UNESCO International Theatre Institute 31st World Congress and Theatre Olympics of the Nations to mobilize cultural diversity as a communications force for the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Since Director General Matsuura’s presence is confirmed in the Philippines, we hope and trust that the 2006 event will serve as a catalyst towards a viable global strategy on the cultural front of harnessing artists in education, media, entertainment and community social action as a peaceful army to stop violence against mankind and mother earth in partnership with the UN family system lead by UNESCO.