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“Kapatid,”
a tribute to the prime
mover of RP theater
June 29, 2003
A virtual who's who in the world of Philippine theater,
cinema, television, radio, print, the academe, politics,
together with human rights advocates and environmentalists
will gather to pay tribute to the prime mover of
the national theater movement in the Philippines,
Cecile Guidote Alvarez.
A special tribute entitled "Kapatid! Isang
Parangal Kay Cecile Guidote Alvarez" will be
held on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 starting at 6:00 p.m.
at St. Paul's College in Quezon City, to celebrate
Cecile's dedication to public service which has
earned her a place in the history of arts and culture.
Cecile, wife of Presidential Adviser on Overseas
Filipino Communities Heherson "Sonny"
Alvarez who is also a former senator and environment
secretary, is best known as the spirit and driving
force behind the establishment of a truly original
Filipino theater in the country through the Philippine
Educational Theater Association or PETA which she
founded in 1967.
Her intense desire for a national theater in the
Philippines that would not stage local translations
of foreign stage works but mount instead local productions
highlighting the diverse culture and traditions
of Filipinos was the impetus for PETA which she
created based on her 300-paged thesis, "Prospectus
for the National Theater of the Philippines"
while taking up her Master of Arts program in the
United States.
Through the years, PETA honed the creative talents
of the late National Artist Lino Brocka, Robert
Arevalo, Nick Lizaso, Bonjin Bolinao, Isagani R.
Cruz, Joy Soler de Castro, Mario J. delos Reyes,
Angie Ferro, Alberto S. Florentino, Cecile B. Garrucho,
Joey Gosengfiao, Malou Jacob, Anton Juan, Lutgardo
Labad, Orlando Nadres, Frank Cavestany, Lily Gamboa
O'Boyle, Mario O'Hara, Felix Padilla Jr., Nestor
U. Torre, Elwood Perez, Frank Rivera, Siegfried
Sepuveda Jr., Soxy Topacio, Lorli Villanueva, Alfred
A. Yuson, Lar Diaz, and countless others.
Also in 1967, she produced the television show Balintataw,
a program focusing on historical events, social
concerns, women and family issues while providing
a harvest of our literary heritage. Balintataw reaped
numerous awards and entered the CAT Awards Hall
of Fame from 1967 to 1972.
During Martial Law, she joined her husband, who
evaded a shoot-to-kill order, in exile for 13 years
in the United States where they led the overseas
movement to restore democracy working with the Movement
for a Free Philippines, and later for the Ninoy
Aquino Movement (NAM) founded by her husband after
the former senator was assassinated.
While in exile, she injected creative arts presentations
in demonstration organized by her husband in front
of the White House, the US Congress, the Philippine
Embassy, the UN headquarters, at St. Patrick's Cathedral
and in other key cities in the US.
Returning from exile, she revived Balintataw in
the 1990s and earned recognition from Gawad CCP,
PMPC Star Awards, and is Catholic Mass Media Awards
(CMMA) Hall of Fame Awardee for Drama. Her work
also earned recognition from CNN and Time Magazine.
Balintataw is still aired over DZRH AM since 1992.
For her extraordinary contributions to the development
of Philippine theater, Cecile has received awards
and citations here and abroad, most notable of which
is her Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service
in the Arts in 1972, the youngest Filipina recipient
of the award which is the equivalent of a Nobel
Prize in Asia.
She also received a UN Human Rights Day Award for
Cultural Innovation by the Fund for Free Expression
in 1985 and the Patnubay ng Kalingan Award from
the City of Manila, among others.
The tribute will begin with a mass to be celebrated
by Fr. James B. Reuter, S.J. followed by a presentation
directed by Anton Juan which will include excerpts
of famous PETA plays such as Bayaning Huwad, Larawan,
Ang Pagbabalik ni Doña Clara, and Ang Tatay
Mong Kalbo.
Performers include the PETA Kalinangan Ensemble,
Sining Kambayoka, and the DREAMS Ensemble, with
the special participation of National Artists Nick
Joaquin and Alejandro Roces.
Cecile is set to leave for the US early this month
to seek medical treatment for breast cancer.
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