Cecile guest at UN debate / Metro Bank’s TOWNS search / Tony Pastor, a movie buff

Cultural icon Cecile Guidote Alvarez, president of International Theater Institute’s Philippine Chapter, will be a special guest and participant today in the thematic debate on “Culture and Development” at the United Nations headquarters in New York. UNESCO director-general Dr. Irina Bokova will preside.

Dr. Bokova expresses “how much she appreciates Cecile’s passionate and energetic engagement in the subject, the range of activities she conducts to raise awareness and build bridges between culture, the arts and the environmental concerns, and the work of the ITI/Earth Savers and the UNESCO Dream Center which Cecile founded to promote peace, social inclusion and artistic expression, in particular, by involving youth who are marginalized or live with a disability.”

Cecile’s participation in the UN debate was also recommended by Tobias Biancone, ITI director-general who wrote that the ITI Executive Council is honored to designate Cecile. ITI’s official representative for the seminal discussion.

Biancone wrote further: “Mrs Alvarez, a UNESCO Artist for Peace, has long-standing experience initiating and implementing programs for the pursuit of the MDG’s both nationally and internationally, working namely with the Philippine government, UNESCO’s current and former directors-general and the United Nations.”

Biancone emphatically asserts: “I am confident Mrs. Guidote-Alvarez will not only make a valuable contribution to the discussion but will also be able to follow up the implementation of the ensueing conclusions with governments and civil society alike.”

*   *   *

The Metro Bank Foundation headed by Aniceto Sobrepeña has forged partnership with the Metro Bank Corporation (MCC) and the TOWNS Foundation (The Outstanding Women Nation’s Service) to conduct the 2013 Search for the TOWNS through a signing of a MOA last May 16.

Sobrepeña expressed his Foundation’s support of the search, further emphasizing that MBFI, known for its recognition program for teachers, artists and public servants, is also happy to recognize the contribution of women in nation building.

The TOWNS award is conferred to outstanding Filipino women ages 21 to 45 who have positively contributed to strengthening national capability, to shaping the nation’s future and serving as catalysts for economic, social and cultural development.

TOWNS Foundation president is Dr. Catherine Vista-Yu.

Nominations will be accepted until June 30. Application forms and search guidelines are available at the TOWNS Foundation website www.towns.orgph.

*   *   *

Art patron, pianist, singer, impresario, and businessman Tony Pastor of Batangas has persuasive proof that he is also a movie buff whose interest in films, particularly Filipino films, took root decades ago.

Impressive evidence of this is his collection of movie advertisements which appeared in Batangas newspapers from 1933 to 1941. In Tony’s album of clippings are “Na Huling Pagsisisi” (Late Repentance), a Jose Nepomuceno production as was “Kamay ng Dios” (God’s Hand). Based on a story by Severino Reyes, it featured Carlos Padilla, among others.

Tony’s voluminous collection also contains pictures of such films as “Anak Dalita,” “Kalupitan ng Tadhana,” “Malambot na Bato,” “Ang Birheng Walang Dambana” featuring Rosa del Rosario and Armando Villa, “Ibong Adarna,” “Isang Halik Lamang,” “Ang Maya” starring soprano Consuelo Salazar, wife of Speaker Perez.

The earliest movie stars also included Fely Vallejo, sister of Ernesto, the violin virtuoso, Angel Esmeralda, Rogelio de la Rosa (who later became an ambassador), Corazon Noble, the celebrated diva Atang de la Rama, Leopoldo Salcedo, Ben Rubio, Carmen Rosales, Lota Delgado, Ely Ramos, Fernando Poe, father of presidential candidate FPJ, Norma Blancaflor, Amparo Karagdag, Serafin Garcia, Paraluman, Mila del Sol, Lucita Goyena, star of “Ang Viuda Alegre”, Tita Duran.

It would be relevant to ask: How much have Filipino movies improved? Being neither a movie buff nor a film authority, I shall pass on the query to Ricky F. Lo and Nestor U. Torre.